Heart-to-S Support
by AriZonia1
Summary: Robin starts off with a huge hatred for a certain Hom fighter, but as he comes to understand him, the more he feels like he's drawn to him. Warnings: ShulkxM!Robin, boy love towards end of story, will be rated T until then
1. Red Affinity

Chapter 1: Red Affinity

He cannot explain it, but he hates him. He hates him with a burning passion. The white haired mage slams his fists down in anger as he searches through his tomes. It has to be the fact that he can see the future. That HAS to be the reason Robin hates this man so much. That and the fact he's not like Robin either.

The tactician can't get this man out of his head. His name is Shulk, and he is a strange one. Robin can't tell any physical differences, so he still has yet to understand, but Shulk isn't human. He calls himself 'Hom', the same applies to the older raven-haired male with him, Dunban. Yet that word doesn't apply to the small, orange ball of fluff with a face, as he is a Nopon, named Riki. All three are from a strange world, a place called 'Bionis'.

All these terms he has to remember just infuriates Robin more. It's bad enough that, as a tactician, he has little to no ability to counter someone that can see the future, willfully or otherwise. He angrily pulls at his white locks as he tries to figure out why this boy is so different. He's so entranced in all his books that he doesn't notice his roommate, the angel Dark Pit, walking in.

"You seem angry." The dark angel says as he walks by him to set down his staff.

Robin grumbles, "Thank you Captain Obvious."

"You're welcome."

The mage rolls his eyes, he's pretty sure Master Hand is a sadist, pairing him up with the most sarcastic of fighters. Why couldn't he be with someone more pleasant, or at least wouldn't sarcastically poke fun at him when he's trying to think. He almost slaps the other as he starts leaning over his shoulder to peek at his notes that he's gathered about Bionis and Homs.

"What's with your obsession on that blond kid?" Dark Pit asks as he picks up one of the smaller books and flipping through the pages.

The tactician swipes the book from his hands, "I'm trying to understand why I… hate him."

"Well, I know the feeling. But drowning in books isn't going to give you an answer." The raven-haired boy stretches out as he goes to leave for dinner, "Have you tried… I don't know, talking to him?"

"Well I…"

"I'm not saying you should, but I'm also not saying you _shouldn't_."

The door is closed behind the dark angel as he leaves Robin. Maybe trying to talk to the blond wouldn't be too much of a bad idea. This might also help the silverette relieve some of this anger by actually _understanding_ why Shulk is different from the other fighters. The mage closes the book in front of him and gets up from his desk, grabbing his cloak as he does so, however; once he's out the door, he realizes he doesn't know where to find the swordsman. They've only been at Smash Mansion for a week now, so he hasn't quite learned his patterns. Robin stops walking for a second and thinks of who might know where to find Shulk, he concludes that asking the Robotic Operating Buddy would be a likely solution.

On his way to find R.O.B., the mage passes by the swordsman, he looks like he's in a bit of a hurry as he races up the stairs. He looks like he's going to the roof of the manor. Robin decides to follow him, but quietly to not seem like he's a stalker, but the mage is quite surprised on just how _fast_ the other is at climbing the stairs, he doesn't even look like he's running out of breath. The tactician can barely keep up with him.

After running up the stairs from the third floor, past floors four and five, to the roof, Shulk finally gets out the roof access door and runs to the edge of the building and stops at the railing before staring out at the sky in awe. His eyes are wide as he watches the sun set over the horizon. Robin eventually manages to catch up and becomes confused as he sees the other standing at the railing. He walks up next to him quietly, as to not scare him.

"Intrigued by the sunset?" Robin asks suddenly as the light of the sun starts to fade into the navy night sky.

The other jumps as little as he didn't acknowledge the mage's presence, "Oh, yeah. I am. I've never seen the sun set before."

The silverette is confused even more, "Does Bionis not experience night time?"

"We do, but the sun… just sort of fades away into the sky. It's hard to tell unless you're up at Eryth Sea, or anywhere else high up there."

"Wait… I'm not quite following. How can a sea be 'high up'? The ocean is at the lowest part of the world. Also, the Earth always has a horizon for the sun to rise and set upon. Considering it's a round world."

Shulk looks over at Robin, his blue eyes full of wonder and curiosity, "Are you saying we're not on the body of a titan?! And that the world around you isn't flat?"

At this point, the tactician is beyond confused, "What do you mean 'body of a titan'? What bizarre fantasy realm do you live in?"

The words stung a bit in Shulk's heart, he feels like an idiot now, assuming Smash Mansion is on a titan named 'Earth'. He falls silent and stares out at the sky again as the stars begin to shine. The silence between them doesn't seem like it's going to end soon, however; Robin doesn't know how to approach this situation. It seems like Shulk is just as curious about this world as the mage is about his.

Robin opens his mouth to speak, "I… I'm sorry if I snapped at you about that. I was under the assumption everyone lived in a world similar to mine." He receives no response from the other, but continues talking as he gazes out at the horizon, "I feel like my anger towards you is due to a lack of understanding. I feel… if we got to know each other… maybe we can learn to respect each other?"

The blond slowly turns towards the other and smiles a little, "I was thinking the same thing actually. I had heard from a couple of other fighters that you had been taking books from the library to learn about Homs. Since I am one, maybe I can help you learn? And maybe you can teach me the differences between humans and Homs?"

Robin looks at the other and nods. He extends his hand out to formally introduce himself, and he gets a pleasant smile and shake in return. They overcame the first obstacle, getting the nerve to talk to one another. The mage isn't quite ready to let go of the fact he still hates that Shulk can see the future, but this is a nice step in the right direction towards a mutual understanding of one another. The two both turn back towards the horizon and continue to enjoy the view that they can share in viewing.

**Affinity; Orange - Bitter Rivals  
>~~~~~~~~~~~~<strong>

**Author Notes: I will be honest, I know nothing about the Fire Emblem series, so I apologize now if I write the characters wrong, especially those not from Awakening.**

**Also, for those that know Xenoblade and the affinity system, I know that orange and red is for NPCs, but since this takes place outside Bionis, I feel some rules can be bent a little bit. And no, spoilers for XC will not be here, just to make it accessible for anyone to read**


	2. Orange Affinity

Chapter 2: Orange Affinity

The next morning most of the Smashers were gathered in the large dining union on the first floor. About half are only up this early because of Captain Falcon. Every morning the man wakes up and uses his booming voice as a makeshift alarm clock since everyone can hear him. The lucky ones that can sleep through that are usually the naturally heavy sleepers, like Link and Pit, or have wizened up and gotten earplugs. Robin is one of the unlucky ones, he and the others currently getting breakfast.

The mage sighs as he waits for his waffle to finish cooking, contenting himself to one of Shulk's research notebooks about the Titan, Bionis. Groggily he looks around, and sees no sign of his acquaintance, only his assistant fighter Dunban, however; the silverette finds no point in going to talk to him at this moment, and just lets the older enjoy his morning coffee.

The tactician stores the journal in his cloak before he grabs his plate and waffle. He saunters over to an empty table and takes a seat. Enjoying the silence, he slowly nibbles his breakfast. Any other day Robin is usually wide awake at this time of morning, he's unsure why he feels so exhausted right now. He's so tired that he doesn't even pay attention when two other fighters join him at his table. He looks up after a bit and sees that Shulk has made a personal appearance along with Marth.

"Morning Robin." The Hom says happily, how he's so wide awake is beyond anyone, "I wanted to thank you for that chat we had last night."

Robin mumbles a 'you're welcome' to the other before acknowledging Marth's presence. He inquires about why he decided to have breakfast with him.

The blue haired prince fiddles with his bangs, "I'm waiting for Link to finally wake up, in the meanwhile; I wanted to get to know both of you a bit more."

Shulk smiles again as he eats his breakfast, "I hate to sound rude, but you look exhausted Robin. Did you not sleep well?"

"I'm not sure why I'm this tired." He pauses to yawn before speaking again, "I assume though after my first battle today I'll have more energy."

The three males then start having a discussion, mostly about Robin's time period in Ylisse compared to that of Marth's, and Shulk's home of Colony 9 and his adventures on the Bionis and Mechonis. The three were just as intrigued with one another as they were confused, when one is from a long distant past of another, and the third being, basically, a humanoid alien, it's hard not to be.

Much later, after breakfast, Robin is walking towards the simulation room on the second floor, Shulk had to go talk to MegaMan about some repair jobs, and Marth left to find Link. After the group split up, and the tactician was alone, he finally stopped to think. He learned quite a bit about the Hom today, and much more about Bionis and it's strange ways, but he had many unanswered questions. The mage drags out the cell-phone that was given to him when he arrived at Smash Mansion and dials in the number he received from the blond swordsman. He doesn't get an answer, but leaves a message asking if later that day he could visit his room for a discussion. After tucking the device away he steps into the simulator and starts up his multi-man challenge.

The match begins and the announcer starts keeping track of the amount of Miis Robin defeats in his three-minute time limit. Just a bit of warm up for him, not a big deal. He just needs to get his blood flowing for the match against Mario after this, he just doesn't recall if it was a team match or a 1v1 today, not that it matters.

Two and a half minutes pass without much of a hitch, the mage has defeated about forty of the fighters, three being simulations of the other fighters in the manor. He doesn't find this very challenging, a simple Arc Fire takes them out in a single move. While forty at two minutes is his all-time low, he can at least say it's good practice for learning endurance. The timer eventually runs out and the simulation ends.

Waiting outside the simulation room is Lucina, she had heard about Robin's match and the fact that he didn't have a partner, probably because of the last-minute switch of it being a 1v1 to a Team Battle. She smiles as the mage emerges from his trial.

"Morning Lucina. Are you here to spectate my match today?" The silverette asks.

Lucina tucks some hair behind her ear, "Actually, I'm your partner today. I guess you didn't get the memo that your one on one got turned into a two on two fight."

The other's eyes widen a bit, "Oh really? Then… who's Mario's partner? Don't tell me its Princess Peach or Luigi again, otherwise I forfeit."

A simple shake of the head in response, "No, he said it's… um… he told me earlier… it start's with an 'S'..."

"Samus?"

"No, no, the other blond. Her roommate?"

Robin finally understands who she's talking about, "Oh, Shulk… well then… that makes things awkward."

The blunette doesn't have time to question what he's talking about as the aforementioned male comes into the room, smiling as he wipes oil from his face. He greets both of his opponents as he attempts to clean the grease off his hands onto his shorts. Lucina greets him back and introduces herself.

"Oh, I've heard about you from Marth." The Hom says as he shakes the swordswoman's hand.

The two exchange a small bit idle chatter as the tactician rubs his temples as he waits for the last competitor to show up. The plumber is always fashionably late, today not being any sort of exception. Robin is just surprised Shulk is early, he has arrived several minutes late to the scheduled time before. At least it doesn't take long for Mario to make an appearance, licking the last bit of spaghetti sauce from his lip.

It only took about a minute after the last fighter's arrival for the battle be set up. A simple team battle, no items available, the common setup for these matches. The tactician only agrees to these because it allows him to analyze a streamlined version of a fighter's tactics, making him not have to worry so much on luck, and more on actual skill. Today's brawl seems to be a bit more equal than usual, both teams have a semi-ranged combatant as well as a sword user.

The timer begins to tick down as the announcer yells for everyone to begin their fight. Robin quickly taking to the defensive as Shulk hops on Lucina's head to begin his assault. The boy is very mellow outside combat, but once he's required to fight he's extremely aggressive, commonly switching Arts on his Monado to keep the opponent guessing. The mage is fully aware of this, having fought the computer simulation version many times in the past, but never has he fought the real thing, and is severely unprepared for him.

The silverette expected the other to land in front of him and just start attacking, but he instead used the extra height from the jump off Lucina's head to land behind him and land a well-timed Back Slash for easy damage. The sudden attack sent him into Lucina and caused her to be pushed forward just enough to miss an opportune hit. The battle just began and is already going south for the Fire Emblem team.

It didn't take long for Mario and Shulk to gang up on the other two and exploit their weaknesses. Robin and Lucina barely managed to hang on with high percentages while their opponents used such effective strategies to juggle them in the air. A well placed Air Slash managed to send both flying into the air past the boundary, Lucina hitting the fourth wall, and Robin getting burned with the boundary explosion.

The two minute timer was ticking down the last twenty seconds, both teams have evened out their scores again, and both are stuck at a high percentage, next KO to win. The struggle to get in close or stay away is pressuring both sides. Robin uses previous knowledge to come up with a quick plan. He rushes in towards Mario, trying to make a diversion as he watches the blond switch to his Speed Art to quickly dodge out of the way, thinking that the mage was rushing at him.

"Lucina, NOW!" The silverette yells as he grabs Mario and tosses him away and charges Thoron.

Lucina takes the cue and gets Shulk stuck in a combo before using Dancing Blade to knock him towards her partner. He shoots the powerful lightning spell just as the young adult began to stand up, the lack of extra weight from the Speed Art caused him to go flying past the uppermost boundary, KO'ing him and winning the match just in the nick of time. Both of the Ylisse fighters strike a victory pose as the announcer yells 'TIME'.

The two teams emerge from the simulation and dust off the remainder of the soot from the KO explosions.

The blue-eyed plumber shakes both of his opponents hands to congratulate them on their well-earned victory before walking off towards the infirmary. Shulk saunters out a little bit afterward and is trying to rearrange his messy hair.

"That was a good fight." The Bionis swordsman says as he extends his hand out for a congratulatory handshake.

The princess nods as she returns the shake, "You fought valiantly. A worthy rival indeed."

Robin was a little wary as he accepted his victory, he is unsure why Shulk didn't foresee his attack and counter, however; the question will remain unanswered for now as the Hom lets out a tired chuckle and slowly limps towards the door, mumbling to himself as his body is engulfed in a blue light. The other two watch as he staggers slowly out and collapses. They rush over to him and attempt to shake him awake to no avail.

"Do you think we'll be able to carry him to the infirmary?" Robin asks as he attempts to sling the blond's arm over himself for leverage.

"I'm not sure. I'll go see if someone is nearby." Lucina responds as she runs off to find some help.

The mage nods as he lifts both himself and his rival up, he can't really get him anywhere, but at least he's not on the ground. He can't really keep himself balanced though, with the added weight on his shoulder, and the fact the Hom is a few inches taller than him.

It doesn't take long for Lucina to return with Magnus and Dunban in tow, they just happened to be in the area. After a little bit of explanation, the mercenary picks up the unconscious swordsman and follows the other three as they head to the infirmary.

Once there Lucina attempts to explain what happened to Shulk to the nurse on staff, Nurse Joy. She nods in vague understanding as she takes his vitals and asks if anyone knows about his symptoms while Dunban thanks Magnus as he walks out to go back to what he had been doing before having to carry the blond swordsman.

Robin sticks some hair behind his ear, "He seems extremely fatigued, a bit pale as well. He was fine before the match, yet afterwards he collapsed after he used some sort of magic that gave him a blue aura."

"That doesn't explain why he suddenly collapsed." The nurse replies as she sets a warm washcloth on his forehead.

Dunban walks over to his ward and stares at the pink-haired woman in the eye, "Ether Deficiency. He has been working himself too much and using Light Heal too often." He pauses as everyone looks at him, "This world doesn't have enough Ether in the atmosphere to keep him stable either. I'm quite surprised though that Riki and I haven't been affected yet."

Joy is still confused though, "How do I treat him? Since he is the only fighter here that can suffer from that condition, we don't readily carry the supplies we might need."

The white haired tactician walks over to the side of the bed as the older Hom talks with the nurse. He takes out a small notebook and starts writing things down as he observes the other's condition. Before long he watches as the raven haired adult instructs Joy on how to treat this and how to monitor him until he is able to get up again. It's very intriguing to Robin that Shulk is near identical to a human, but this condition seems to be one of the key differences between him and the others in the Mansion. He finds himself scribbling down ideas on what he thinks 'Ether' is.

"Is it a plant?" He asks himself, "Maybe it's an element like oxygen since he said 'in the atmosphere'? Or it might be particles like pollen."

The mage is so engrossed in his musings that he nearly flipped when he saw the pink-haired nurse blow blue colored particles over Shulk's unconscious body.

Dunban lets out a small chuckle, "I apologize for laughing, but your reaction to the Ether recovery amuses me greatly. You seem to have a thing for Shulk, do you not?"

Robin's eyes narrow slightly, "We are merely rivals, we also made an agreement to help one another learn about the other's world. No less, absolutely no more."

The adult nods in acknowledgement, "Well, then it should be safe to assume you can keep watch of him, I trust you not to do anything…" he pauses for a second, "Nevermind. I have things to attend to. "

Lucina also bids a farewell as the tactician looks back at the seer, not quite pleased with the war veteran's tone of voice when he said that he trusted Robin. Could he honestly think that he likes Shulk in that way? Improbable. The two barely know each other. Though, the thought does linger in Robin's mind, as he doesn't know if Dunban is just a tease, or if he was being completely serious.

"Regardless of your friend's tone, he is right to trust I can watch you." The silverette mumbles, closing his notebook to look at the sleeping form of the other, "Whenever you decide to awaken though, we should talk about this 'Ether' you rely on to survive. I don't want this happening again under my watch."

**Affinity: Yellow - Friends?**

* * *

><p><strong>Author notes: I thought it would be a good time to bring up that these chapters should hopefully get longer over time as the two fighters become more friendly with each other.<strong>

**1. For those that don't actually know what Ether is... it's hard to explain. It's basically the life-force of the titan Bionis, and all living things on Bionis also rely on this to survive, it can either be a liquid (there is an Ether River in the game) or a crystal, the most common form. According to the game, if a Hom is in an area and the levels of Ether change drastically (usually a depletion) it can cause nausea and fatigue, and only Water Ether crystals can raise the Ether back to a normal level. I don't know exactly how it works, but I assume since Joy only used a small quantity compared to the game using a large quantity shot from a rifle, Shulk wouldn't wake up immediately compared to a member of the party when the same happened to her.**

**2. I am aware that having "Nurse Joy" in Smash seems strange, but it has been a head canon of mine since Melee that the infirmary is run by Dr. Mario and Nurse Joy. Mostly since they need someone that can treat Pokémon, and the idea never quite left my head.**

**3. Dunban seems to be the shipper on deck of Xenoblade, frequently making comments on two characters that he feels would work for each other (even if he does contradict himself on occasion), particularly Shulk and his little sister Fiora, or even Shulk and his best friend Reyn. It's up to you to interpret if he was teasing Robin, or being serious.**


	3. Yellow Affinity

Chapter 3: Yellow Affinity

A few hours pass, and the young Hom has yet to wake up. Robin has been watching him the entire time, calling other Smashers to tell them that he has to cancel attending a scheduled match when the time arrises. Joy occasionally walks over to check on him and Shulk, but leaves just as quickly as she arrives since she constantly has to take care of other fighters that hobble in from their battles.

The silverette looks at the other through a half-lidded gaze, Dunban's comment still lingering in his mind.

"_You seem to have a thing for Shulk, do you not?"_

"Tch. How can that man assume such a thing? Before last night the two of us hadn't even spoke." Robin leans back in the chair he had been supplied and stares at the ceiling, "For a man that acts so proper, he is probably just as much a tease."

Another long hour passes before the Hom's blue eyes slowly flutter open. The tactician has since nodded off in his chair. Shulk slowly sits up and grasps his side where Lucina's sword stabbed him.

"Strange…" the young adult mumbles, "That should have healed… or… not even have actually wounded me."

Joy walks over when she hears the bed creaking as the blond adjusts himself to get a little more comfortable. She smiles pleasantly as she waits for her patient to notice her presence.

The swordsman finally looks up and sees the nurse, "Oh, hello Miss Joy."

"Good afternoon Shulk, how do you feel?" She asks to establish a baseline.

"Um… like my friend Reyn collapsed onto me… just achy all over, and I'm a little sick to my stomach." He responds as he attempts to think straight, "I don't seem to have a lot of energy… wait… did you say 'afternoon'?"

The pink haired lady nods her head, "You've been in here resting for the last six hours. Mr. Dunban said you were experiencing 'Ether Deficiency'." She takes a pause to nudge the mage awake, "Robin has been here watching you since then."

The blond finally notices that Robin is just now waking up in the chair next to his bed. The Ylisse fighter's eyes flutter open and stare straight into the Hom's life-filled, yet tired looking, blue orbs. Shulk finds himself turning away very quickly when he realizes that they're staring right at each other.

"Other than the Ether…" Shulk starts to mumble, "Is there any other reason I'm here?"

"Just the usual superficial burns and stab wounds."

The swordsman nods as the nurse walks away to go grab some pain medication, leaving him and Robin alone. The aforementioned tactician gets out of his chair and leans onto the bed slightly to steady himself. Shulk leans away slightly to give himself a little bit more space. Robin notices the movement and leans back a little bit, the other doing the same in response.

"Personal space issues?" The silverette asks.

The blond tries to come up with a response, "Well I… I'm just not accustomed to people standing so close, it's just how us Homs are."

Robin rolls his eyes, "Yet you and Dunban are perfectly content running around the Mansion nearly naked. Doesn't make much sense if you ask me."

"To _you_ maybe is does not make sense; however, to Dunban and I, that is just our culture. I don't know you overly well, so I'd rather keep my distance, as I am acclimated to do."

The mage shakes his head slightly, "Well, regardless of culture or what-have-you, I'm more than likely going to have to help you return to your room."

The blond blushes ever so slightly before Joy returns with the medication and a cup of water. He accepts what is given to him and shudders as the bitter taste of medicine hits his tongue.

"The doctor reviewed what I had wrote down on your condition, and what had been told to him by Mr. Dunban." the pink haired nurse says, "He said you need to get a steady source of Ether that can be placed in your room if possible. He also said until then, he recommends you do not participate in any matches."

Shulk nods as he rubs his face to attempt to alleviate a headache he feels coming on, "If I find a way to contact Reyn or Fiora in Colony 9 I'll ask for one of them to buy me an Ether Lamp. That will hopefully help balance me out. I'll also ask for one for Riki and Dunban since they'll need one too."

"I will talk to Dr. Mario to see if he can speak with Master Hand about interdimensional item transfers."

After the proclamation, Joy leaves to go attend to her task. Robin watches as the other fighter starts to slide off the bed, using the edge of the mattress to hold himself up until the mage is able to sling his arm over his shoulder. It takes a bit for the tactician to get adjusted to the extra weight, but he manages to make it work out now that the blue-eyed Hom is able to support himself a bit.

It takes about five minutes for the two to even reach the elevator to take them up to the third floor again. They slowly walk towards Shulk's assigned room as he uses both Robin and the Monado to keep himself from collapsing again, the walk taking away much of his already depleted energy.

Once back in the room, the blond lies back on his bed, silently thanking Bionis Samus isn't around. He is ok with his roommate, she just dotes on him a bit too much when he returns to the room barely walking.

"I have to inquire about something if you don't mind my doing so." Robin says as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed, "What exactly is 'Ether'? You, Nurse Joy, and Dunban have tossed that word around a lot today."

Shulk bites his lip as he tries to formulate a logical response. It takes him a while to explain that Ether is both something he needs to survive, but he himself is also made of it, as is every living thing that comes from the Bionis. He explains that there are crystals that are made of pure concentrated Ether that not only are used as energy for the Homs and High Entia, but when put into a furnace and crafted just right the resulting gems can give the bearer greater power than what he or she already has. He also goes on to explain that his world has Ether rivers, and if a Hom, Nopon, or High Entia were to fall into one, they would slowly burn to death from the heat produced by it.

"Everything in my world relies on this Ether to survive. Some of us need it more than others." The blond says as he looks at the silverette, "Since I'm from the lower leg of the Bionis, I don't need as much compared to my friends in Colony 6 or the High Entia."

The mage nods in understanding, "That's very interesting. But, did I not hear you also mention that certain people of Bionis can manipulate Ether?"

"Almost everyone I have met can. I can't use a lot because I'm… well… not skilled in it I suppose, however; my friend Melia is very skilled in using Ether as… I guess our equivalent to magic."

The tactician nods once again as he scribbles this down in his notes. All of this information is fascinating to him, and it also allows him to understand Shulk just a little bit more than he did a few hours ago.

" I just have one more thing to ask." Robin says as he turns to face the other, "What is with your sword? I've been wanting to ask, and now seems like the best time."

"I'll be honest, I'm not sure myself. As Ether makes up everything in my world, my ability to see the future is based on Ether levels at any given time." He responds as he hits his normal thinking pose, "I've been attempting to figure out why I can still see the future here. I've hypothesized that every fighter here has a trace of Ether in them, but that might also explain why I get visions less frequently than I'm used to."

This revelation gives a slight bit of segway to explaining how the visions work anyway, that Shulk has no control of what he sees or when he sees it. He also divulges information on how the Monado doesn't need to be in his possession in order for him to see the visions, and how he is the only one able to properly control the Monado as he explains what happened to Dunban to lose the use of his right arm.

As he continues talking and explaining, Robin slowly ceases his writing and just continues to listen to the other. The words are slowly entrancing the silverette. He can finally understand exactly _why_ the blond is different. He now understands his own hatred for his fellow Smasher is severely misguided and that he should now see this from the Hom's perspective. Think about the fact that he is the only one here that is not human, he is biologically close, but there are so many differences.

Robin is so engrossed in his own thoughts that he almost didn't hear Shulk call his name to bring him back to reality. He apologizes for spacing out after he realizes that he's been awkwardly staring at the swordsman.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" The Hom asks as he yawns slightly while he waits for a response.

The white haired mage nods, "You mentioned earlier about people named 'Reyan' and 'Fiore' I think they were?"

"Reyan and Fiore…? Oh, you mean Reyn and Fiora? Those are my best friends, I've known them for as long as I can remember. Fiora is also Dunban's little sister." Shulk says happily as he reaches over and picks up the picture that's sitting on his nightstand, "This is what they look like."

Robin takes the frame in his hand and inspects the photo of the trio, "It's hard to tell that Dunban and that girl are related. If anything, he looks old enough to be her father; however, I see a resemblance."

A slight chuckle comes from the blond, "They heard that quite a bit from the people of Colony 6 since everyone in Colony 9 knew them. He's about twelve years older than her though, not quite old enough to be her dad."

The tactician smiles slightly as he directs his gaze to the tall red-head, he assumes that if Fiora is the girl then the tall one must be Reyn, "Your tall friend seems like he's very strong, judging on how buff he is."

"He is. In fact, he's the only one that can actively compete with Riki in terms of pure strength. For the longest time Reyn had to protect me because I was so weak and timid. If it wasn't for the Monado, I'd probably still be that way. Though… I seem to be the brains of the two of us, he can be a very big idiot sometimes."

It was Robin's turn to chuckle as he returns the picture to it's owner. He smiles kindly as he watches Shulk return the picture to its proper place. After he turns back to meet the mage's eyes, he shyly smiles as a faint hint of pink dusts his cheeks. The silverette doesn't quite understand when he is offered to sit closer to the Hom so he has a bit more space to sit.

"I thought you didn't like people closing in on your personal space?" He asks as he slowly inches closer.

"Well, considering we had a ten minute walk where I was slung over your shoulder, it's a little hard to tell you that I don't want you close to me. Don't you agree?"

"You proved a very valid point."

"Actually… if you don't mind… would you like to stay here when night falls? Samus said she and a few others are going to be touring the Comet Observatory. I'd go, but I'm… a bit incapacitated at the moment."

The tactician watches as his rivals huddles up in himself a bit and stares at out at the wall in front of him. The blond looks extremely disappointed that he doesn't get to see the starship in person, but Robin doesn't actually know why. He figures it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"You were going to go on that tour with the others?" The mage asks as he chooses his words carefully.

He receives a nod in response, "Yeah. You see, I'm an engineer back in Colony 9, so I'm very interested in machines. When I got the offer from Miss Rosalina to go see the Observatory up close, I was happy to go." The poor boy sighs softly as he looks back at the other, "But, because of my own carelessness I'm going to be stuck here for the evening. Like we had discussed last night, this world isn't like my own."

"So you're only now getting familiar with what this world may lack."

"Precisely."

The silverette nods in understanding as he tucks his notebook and pen into his cloak, "Well. I will take you up on your offer Shulk. I will return shortly with some food for the both of us. Is there anything your prefer?"

"I will eat most anything that doesn't have vegetables in it. Fruit is ok though."

Robin nods as he gets up and repeats that he will not take long and return after a short period of time after he manages to get down to the kitchen or Dining Union, whichever is the least crowded at the current moment.

Shulk smiles as he picks up the picture on his nightstand again and promises to himself that he will tell Reyn and Fiora all about Robin when he calls them tomorrow about the Ether Lamps. He's sure that those two would approve of him, at least he knows Fiora will. The blond can't say much about Reyn though, he might just find him as competition on who can be a better protector.

**Affinity: Green - Friendly Rivals**

* * *

><p><strong>Author notes:<strong>

**This was easily the hardest chapter to write, since I have to take this at a much slower pace than I'm accustomed to for these sorts of relationship fics. Also, I'm trying to figure out how the affinity between Shulk and Robin would even work since Shulk knows affinity (Slowly gaining it through interactions like fighting, heart-to-heart [the conversations these guys have], and being generally supportive) while Robin is for the Supports, just getting two people to work together (I think). I also apologize this chapter is so dialogue heavy**

**Some things I feel that should be explained**

**1. The reason Robin makes a comment that Dunban looks like he should be Fiora's father is because... that's what I thought he was until the first moment she said 'brother'.**

**2. Yes, Dr. Mario is the doctor of Smash Mansion. I guess that only works in my mind because I've had that headcanon since Melee and figured between Melee and SSB4 he got a medical license.**

**3. I actually did take time to go back to Colony 9 in Xenoblade to see what Ether lamps look like and if they would be practical to transfer into Smash Mansion, they are about the size of a desk lamp. I also did all I could in the research department to get a decent description of Ether since between posting chapter 2 and this one, I have finished the game and started in New Game+, so I'm able to see some dialogue I missed before to understand what Ether is in the first place.**

**4. I figure Smash takes place in a slightly different dimension than ours. Think Super Paper Mario, where the manor is Flipside and Master Hand has access to doors that lead to all the homeworlds of the fighters, so he has to keep track of who and what leaves and comes into the Mansion.**


	4. Green Affinity

**Quick author notes before the beginning! This chapter is full of feels, and sadness. There are some silly points, but this is mostly a feel-a-coaster, I do apologize ahead of time. Chapters 5 and beyond will be a lot happier!**

**Now back to your regularly scheduled story!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Green Affinity<p>

Robin is slowly walking back with the food he had picked up from the kitchen. He hadn't been sure what to get, so he grabbed two plates of curry beef and potatoes for the both of them. He was a little concerned as he walked back as he wondered if Shulk would be angry at him for bringing something with potatoes, since those are vegetables. Though, he concludes that the reason he had this dish in particular will be enough justification.

He finally reaches the door and manages to nudge it open without spilling the food all over himself like an idiot. When he gets inside the room he notices that Shulk doesn't look as pale as before, and he's sitting up with a book in his hand.

After quietly clearing his throat the tactician decides to speak, "I have the food, there wasn't much available unfortunately."

The blond marks his place and sets the book down before looking at the silverette, "What did you bring? It smells… really good. So I can rule out the possibility that Lady Palutena had been cooking."

Robin chuckles a little as he sets the plates down on the nightstand as he goes to get a chair, "It's curry beef and potatoes. I apologize that there's vegetables in your food, I tried to keep in mind you didn't want them, but Miss Fit had been cooking today."

The Hom tilts his head slightly before shrugging and picking up his plate, "It's not that much of a big deal. As long as it's not taro root, I won't mind. Potatoes are one of the few vegetables I'll actually eat." He smiles slightly as he takes a bite of the rice, "I may sound very stupid if I ask though… but what is 'beef'? Is it related to Armu meat at all?"

The mage looks up from his own serving with a very bewildered look on his face. He attempts to stammer out an answer, "I… don't quite know how to answer that; however, let's leave discussions for after we eat our lunch."

The seer pouts a little before taking a bite of the meat, he can't really tell what it tastes like because of the curry, but he wasn't known for being able to know if food tasted good or not. At least he can still say Fiora's cooking is better, even if she does sneak vegetables into his food and he doesn't have the heart to tell her he hates them.

The two eat in relative silence, mostly because Robin is busy thinking, and Shulk is too polite to eat with his mouth full; however, the blond still feels a little nauseated and has to eat slowly so he doesn't get sick. It doesn't take long for him to reach a point that he can't eat any more of the curry and hurriedly sets the plate down so he can fall backwards on the bed to alleviate that sick feeling before it reaches its threshold.

The tactician notices that his rival is starting to get pale again as he grasps his stomach and turns onto his side. He quickly sets down his own plate and leans over the other to reach his forehead to check for fever. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to think of something to do. The mage should have figured that curry wasn't the best thing to give someone who isn't feeling well, even if it wasn't all that spicy. He promises to return quickly as he rushes out of the room to go find somewhere to grab a wet washcloth.

* * *

><p>In another area of Smash Mansion, Dunban is sitting in the sunroom of the second floor, enjoying the afternoon sun. He's waiting for Chrom to arrive, he had been asked to have a chat with him about Robin and Shulk. He has contented himself to a cup of tea that Zelda had given to him without much of a reason in the meanwhile.<p>

It only takes about five more minutes of contented silence for the Lord to appear and take the open seat next to the Bionis assistant, the two sit in silence for a while, just looking out the giant windows of the room they're in.

"A good afternoon to you sir." Dunban says without looking at the younger, finishing the last of his drink.

"Likewise Mr. Dunban." Chrom replies as he continues to stare at the view of the Mansion courtyard.

"You may drop the 'Mister', I may be polite, but I'm getting a little tired of everyone calling me that."

The prince nods in confirmation as he looks at the war veteran, watching as the slight smile does not fade as he leans back slightly in his chair.

"You asked me to come here for a chat concerning Shulk and Robin. Does this have anything to do with the fact that I trusted the mage to watch my ward in his illness?"

Chrom watches as the other looks at him through the corner of his eye before replying, "You have very impressive deduction skills; although, that is not my concern. Lucina had told me about the incident this morning. She mentioned you were extremely calm during that time despite Robin and Nurse Joy considering it an acute emergency. Are you willing to explain your side?"

"Ah, yes, Shulk is a little reckless with his health, his diet in unhealthy and he isn't the best at monitoring his Ether usage. I was concerned for him, don't believe I wasn't." Dunban takes a pause to sit up, set down his empty cup, and look at Chrom, "I was calm because Miss Lucina had told me and Magnus that he had just fainted, so the concern that he had been out for a long time and unable to be treated in this world left my thoughts."

"I see." The prince responds, "Lucina had also mentioned that before you left the infirmary you also said something to Robin that you trust him _not_ to do something, but you interrupted yourself. Do you care to explain what you were going to tell him?"

The other male chuckles slightly, "When the time comes for that issue to actually be a problem, I will let your friend know what I was going to say. Until then, it is not of anyone's concern. It's not even mine at this moment."

"I do worry though. Robin can be a little bit rash from time to time, often letting his emotions interfere with his ability to think rationally as a tactician. Then there's Shulk, he seems really frail outside combat. Wait... I should not have said that… I-."

Dunban raises his hand to show he doesn't want the blunette to continue speaking, "No, it is fine. I understand your standpoint. He is very timid, he prefers to stay outside combat if he can help it. He only fights in the regulated battles because Master Hand has inhibited the power of the Monado, making it so he can not physically harm any fighters."

Chrom watches as the Hom leans back in the chair again and lets his eyes slip closed while he continues to explain why he trusts Robin around his shy 'adopted' son and that he thinks that the mage's personality might coax the blond out of his shell a bit. The younger takes these explanations into consideration as he too leans back and relaxes as the raven-haired man's words and tone helps to ease some of the worries he had about the mage and seer attempting to get along.

* * *

><p>In Shulk's room again, Robin has since returned with a cold, wet washcloth and had set it on his rival's forehead. The swordsman is still clutching his stomach in pain but he doesn't look like he's going to be immediately sick and his nausea might subside without further complications. The silverette watches as the blond's breathing starts to level out a bit as the cold damp cloth on his head expels some of the heat from the swordsman's forehead.<p>

The mage takes a seat in the chair again as he continues to watch over the other young adult. He's not used to this, having to monitor the health of someone that is so different from him. The little whimpers and groans just worry him more as time goes on. Robin continues to fret as his thoughts dart from one possible problem to another, all the things that could go wrong at any second, but he must remain calm. Dunban has trusted him to watch Shulk, he must not let the man lose this trust for the tactician.

The white-haired mage stands up again and leans over the bed slightly to be hovering just slightly over the other. He gently places a hand on the Hom's cheek and is a little surprised when the blond leans his face into his hand and the pained expression fades slightly. He tenderly moves his hand to tuck some stray hair behind Shulk's ear before leaning back again to let him rest. Relaxing as the look in the Hom's face eases into a gentle smile.

Robin sighs softly to himself as he sits down in the chair again and stares at the ceiling. He figured today was going to be a long day, but he never anticipated this. Shulk was so full of life this morning, not a single sign he wasn't feeling well. The tactician does admit that the seer wasn't doing his best in battle, sometimes making foolish mistakes, and never once did he counter using his visions. Maybe the battle was all that was needed to tip the boy over the threshold, if that's the case then, the mage is thankful he and Lucina had been his opponents, and that Dunban and Magnus just happened to be in that hallway this morning.

* * *

><p>A few hours pass and Robin has since dozed off again in his chair. Shulk's stomach cramps have finally subsided and he's sitting up straight as he continues reading his book. He doesn't want to wake up the other, yet he has the nagging feeling that the silverette can't be comfortable sleeping in that chair. The blond marks his place and sets the book down before he attempts to slowly get up off the bed to nudge the other awake and give him the offer of using his bed; however, he just finds himself falling back onto the sheets from both lightheadedness and a lack of strength in his legs to support his own weight.<p>

Rubbing his face in slight irritation, Shulk mumbles to himself, "Might have to ask for that lamp today at this rate…or just stay asleep long enough for it to be morning when I wake up again…"

The blond decides that if plan A to wake up the mage didn't work in his favor, plan B might. He quietly thanks Bionis that Robin left the chair just within leg reach. Carefully the swordsman hooks his feet under the seat of the chair and begins to pull it towards him slowly, just so he doesn't hurt himself, or accidentally tip the chair backwards. It only takes a little bit of this to get the tactician in arm's reach so the blue eyed fighter can gently nudge his shoulder. He smiles gently as the Ylissean fighter's eyes slowly open and groggily look at him.

"You're sitting up." Robin mumbles as he tries to right himself in the chair and relieve the soreness in his back and side.

Shulk nods gently, "I've been up for a bit. I was wondering if you wanted to nap on my bed seeing how you're so tired."

It was the mage's turn to have his cheeks turn slightly pink as he stifles a yawn, "Y-you sure? I don't want to intrude on your personal space."

"Well, considering I'm offering the other half of my bed space for you to use, I don't know how you'll be intruding in _my _personal space." He stops to chuckle slightly, "Especially when you take into consideration I had to use my feet to drag this chair closer to me."

The silverette looks down and widens his eyes a bit as he realizes that the blond's feet are resting between his legs. An innocent gesture from the Hom's perspective, just a creative way of getting the tactician closer to him to be nudged awake instead of having to get up. Robin clears his throat as he waits for Shulk to scoot back on the bed a bit so he has a chance to get out of the chair. He thanks his rival-becoming-friend as he removes his cloak and shoes before he walks to the other side and lays down on the open space of the bed.

"Your bed is a lot more comfortable than mine." Robin says as he watches the swordsman lay back as well and turns on his side to face the Ylissean, "Or maybe I'm just so tired that I'll sleep anywhere."

The seer lets out a slight laugh as he looks at his companion, "Considering you've slept on two chairs today, I'll take it that the latter is true."

The mage rolls his eyes before turning over and faces away from the swordsman, "Well, wake me up in an hour." There's a bit of a bitter tone laced in Robin's words.

"If I happen to be awake, I will. Sleep tight." Shulk responds cheerfully as he turns onto his back and let's his eyes slip closed as the feeling of exhaustion washes over him again from that tiny bit of exertion.

* * *

><p>A few hours pass as the duo rest together, Shulk staying pretty stationary as to not get sick in his sleep, and Robin constantly turning over to maintain comfort while he rests. The two both sleeping quietly, the only noise is the occasional light snore coming from the blond.<p>

Samus walks into the room to check up on her roommate and pick up her bag, word about his collapse earlier that day spread quickly through the Mansion. She looks at the "couple" through a half-lidded gaze as she strolls over to Shulk's nightstand and picks up the half-eaten plates of curry and the damp washcloth, being cautious to not make much noise, she's very well aware that Shulk is a light-sleeper.

The bounty hunter thinks to herself as she watches the two sleep in peace, "_Just to think that last night the poor kid came in here telling me that he learned that Robin hated him yet wanted to respect him. Now the two are sharing a bed. Can't imagine what might come next at this rate._"

Quietly sighing, Samus turns on her heel and proceeds to walk out of the room, encountering Robbi and Dark Pit outside the door, leaning against the wall opposite the room. The blonde takes care to cautiously close the door before addressing the other two.

"Is there something you need Kuro? Or how about you Robin?" The tallest asks.

Robbi takes this time to respond, "I was just concerned for my brother, he has been with Shulk pretty much all day at this point. Considering the… 'accident'... happened at six this morning and it's now seven in the evening."

Kuro scoffs, "Damn, it's that late already?"

The bounty hunter blows a bit of hair out of her face, "Well, I wasn't able to ask them myself, but I'll take the fact the two are both sleeping on Shulk's bed as a good indicator that they're ok, or that they're just too tired to be bothered. I'm unsure which it is."

The raven-haired angel rolls his eyes as he sets his arms behind his head, "I don't really _care_ about my roommate, and don't really want to get involved with his business, but don't you find that just a bit strange those two are in the same bed?"

The silverette mage looks between the other two before speaking again, "Well, knowing Robin and his desire for an S Support, I wouldn't be surprised if he's getting a little desperate, going for any person he deems compatible. Even to the point he'll ignore gender. Though… they just got to know each other yesterday. They can't even be at a B Support yet."

The dark angel glares at the tactician out of the corner of his eye before rolling his eyes again and shaking his head. Samus; on the other hand, tilts her head to the side and asks that Robbi explain as the blonde returns to the kitchen to get rid of the dishes before she departs with the rest of the tour group. The female mage agreeing to the offer and explaining what the 'Support' system is, and why it is so important to her twin. Going into detail in such a way that both of her acquaintances can understand this 'system' and a few of it's quirks.

Samus looks over at the shortest as she reaches the elevator and presses the button, "So, to you having a 'Support' is basically the same as the stages of a relationship?"

Robbi nods, "That's a… simple way to put it, but it's also a bit more complicated than that."

Kuro rolls his eyes yet again and folds his arms before speaking, "Well, from what I've managed to comprehend out of my roommate's notebooks on the blond, the concept of 'Support' would be lost on the swordsman."

The tactician looks at the raven-haired boy, surprised, "What do you mean? Are you saying that Shulk's world doesn't have that sort of system? Do they not have a concept of romance and relationships?"

"That's not what I'm saying." The crimsoned-eyed angel grumbled angrily.

Samus interrupts both of them as the elevator arrives so she doesn't have to listen to a petty argument, or more of Kuro's sass, she got enough sarcasm today when talking to Pit about his opinion on Link. All she did was come up here to pick up her bag with basic supplies for the next twenty-four hours, and to check in on Shulk for Dunban since the war veteran was busy babysitting the Koopa Kids for Bowser while he was at the weekly 'Villain Meeting'.

* * *

><p>The next morning arrives and the warmth of the sun hits Robin's back as he slowly wakes up. He groans softly as he sits up and holds his side where it's still sore from when he slept on the chair in Shulk's room. The tactician rubs his face with his other hand as he tries to recall the last thing he did. He barely mumbles that he had been offered to share the bed with the blond because he had been so tired. Then it dawns on him that <em>is <em>the last thing he remembers before falling asleep again. The mage slowly turns and looks to his right and sees the Hom still peacefully asleep next to him, his hair disheveled, a rosy tint to his cheeks, and the cutest of noises escaping his mouth occasionally.

It takes a lot of willpower for Robin to hold a surprised yelp as he flips out and falls off the bed, groaning as his back makes contact with the floor. He clumsily flips his legs off the side of the bed so his can stand up, not quite surprised when he hears Shulk ask if he's ok. He mumbles a confirmation as he stretches out his back and turns to see the seer tiredly looking at him through a half-lidded gaze.

"Sleep well?" The blue-eyed teen asks as he yawns, trying to doze off again, somehow feeling even more tired than when he fell asleep.

The silverette sits back on the bed and leans against the headboard, "Yeah. Thanks for asking. What about you? Didn't get sick overnight?"

A neutral sounding noise comes as a simple response at first, "I had a bit of a bad dream, but otherwise I slept alright. I feel worse though this morning, I need to get into contact with Colony 9 immediately…" Shulk's words are coming out a little forced, "I'm just so tired though… can't even keep my eyes open…"

Robin pales a bit at the comment, is he really feeling worse? The mage quickly gets up, ignoring the ache of his side and back, so he can rush to the other side and grab his shoes.

"I don't feel like I need to tell you, but stay here." The tactician says quickly and he attempts to put his shoes on quickly, "I'll go find someone to carry you to the infirmary."

The silverette quickly rushes out the door, not bothering to close it and runs through the hall to see if he can find anyone strong enough to lift and carry the blond. He curses to himself as he tries to remember who all said they were going to the Comet Observatory, just so he can rule out those people when seeking help. At this current moment in time, the tactician doesn't care who he finds as long as they're strong enough to lift an eighteen-year-old.

Robin almost sighs in relief when he catches a glimpse of Chrom walking down the hallway. He shouts to his friend and nearly runs into him as he approaches.

"Robin? Is everything ok? Why are you running? You're very pale." The prince asks.

"I don't have the time to explain. I just need to you to get Shulk to the infirmary, the door is wide open. I need to find Dunban or Master Hand to get an item transfer done. This is an emergency!"

The blunette's eyes go wide as he senses the urgency in the tactician's voice. His only question is Shulk's room number before running off to go retrieve the swordsman. Robin continues his jog down to the Dining Union to hopefully find either Dunban or Riki to help him get into contact with the world of Bionis.

* * *

><p>In the Dining Union of the Mansion, Riki and Dunban are sharing breakfast with Princess Peach, the Nopon almost fawning over the blonde's prettiness. The trio are perfectly content while they share idle chatter until Robin shows up and nearly slams his hands onto the table, desperately trying to regain his breath from running from the third floor all the way to the first. The original three all have a look of concern for the tactician as he stares straight at Dunban, almost looking like he wants to cry, but is holding back to remain strong.<p>

The war veteran speaks soft, yet sternly, "Robin, I can sense something is very wrong. Does this have to do with Shulk?"

The mage nods in confirmation, his chest hurting too much to speak. This is all the Hom needed to know as he stands up abruptly, using his left arm to lift himself. He excuses himself from Peach and beckons the Heropon to join him as he rushes off to the Communications Room on the second floor, the Ylissean following close behind.

* * *

><p>It doesn't take very long for the trio to reach their destination, it almost seems like time is standing still for them. The raven-haired Hom desperately uses his ID card to gain access to the terminal to call his sister, praying that she answers, or Reyn, anyone in Colony 9 at this point would do.<p>

A sigh of strained relief comes from the adult as the familiar face of his sister shows up on the screen.

"Dunban?" Fiora asks as she sees the worried look on her brother's face, "Is everything ok? Is there something wrong with Shulk!?"

"There is, I can't explain everything at this moment," Dunban motions behind him for Robin and Riki to run off to Master Hand's Domain two doors down, "I need you to go to the Ether Light and get two Ether Lamps, as well an Ether pistol with a water cartridge from the Military District, yell at Reyn if you have to. This _is_ an emergency."

* * *

><p>The blonde girl asks no questions as based on the tone and circumstance the girl can deduce Ether Deficiency. She disconnects from the call and runs out of the house as she sprints towards the Commercial District. She, literally, runs into Reyn and quickly explains to him what he needs to grab from the Medbay before turning him around and almost pushing him in the direction he just came from. Fiora doesn't hesitate to run up to the nearby vendor and purchase two Ether lamps, as her brother instructed. She figured that if this is an emergency, then one is for her friend, and the other for her brother so this doesn't happen to him in the future.<p>

After making her purchase and paying the Hom vendor, Fiora begins running towards the Military District to meet up with Reyn and get these items teleported to the Smash Mansion as soon as she can. The knife-user is thankful that Shulk had given her the quick-step gems he always had embedded in his boots, otherwise this jog would take a lot longer than three minutes.

At the gate to the district, Fiora doesn't even need to explain to the Colonel what is going on, he just let's her on through to where her auburn-haired companion is standing. A worried look etched in his usually joyful features. He understands the panic and hastiness of Fiora's actions, even though he's unsure if this situation has to do with their mutual best friend, Fiora's brother, or the furry footrest.

Both nod as the transporter activates in front of them. It's pale blue light beckoning the pair to set the objects in their hands on the platform resting at their feet. The two watch as the items start to dematerialize in front of them before the light of the machine forms a into a ball and shoots to the sky before disappearing in a mystical blast.

"I hope everything is ok out there." Fiora says as she holds back tears.

"Don't worry Fiora, I'm sure everything will turn out alright." Reyn replies as he wraps his arms around his friend, "Dunban, Riki, and Shulk are in capable hands. All _we _can do is wait, and hope."

The blonde leans into the taller as she starts to cry, "I hope you're right Reyn…"

* * *

><p>Robin is pacing back and forth impatiently as he watches Master Hand, in his human form, fiddle with his machinery to get the items to the correct coordinates in time and space. It did always bother the mage to see the master of the manor in this form, something just seems unnatural about him. It's not the fact he only wears a glove on his right hand either, his very being is unsettling.<p>

"Come on Hand," The tactician grumbles as he stops to face the man in the suit, "We don't have all day! Shulk's life is at stake!"

"Silence!" The master shouts, his voice still echoing as usual, "Manipulating space and time in such a way to not damage these crucial items while in a hurry still requires time!"

Riki shudders as he nearly hops into the silverette's arms out of fear. He does wrap his ear-wings and thin arms around Robin's leg to try and hide himself. The outburst from the other man barely does anything though to ease the mage's concerns. Just as he was going to march over to the machine to see what is taking so long, Crazy walks over with the items in his hands.

The tactician grabs the pistol as the Heropon takes the lamps in his ear-wings. Both thank Master and Crazy before running off to meet up with the others in the Infirmary, thankful it's on the same floor as Master Hand's Domain.

Crazy chuckles maniacally, "I know you're doing this for the sake of the fighter so he can stay in the tournament," He pauses to grin evilly at his twin, "but do you think that that mage is starting to feel close to the swordsman, Desmond?"

Master places his ungloved hand on his brother's face, and pushes him away, "Of course I do Dante; however, it is not our purposes to deem whether or not he is allowed to."

The younger twin cackles again as he agrees with the elder. Both saunter away to return to their jobs as the remaining fighters start up their challenges in Smash Run and Classic modes.

* * *

><p>Everyone is gathered in the infirmary as Robin and Riki finally manage to rush in with the supplies. Dunban extends his hand as the tactician gives him the Ether pistol. The raven-haired Hom warns everyone to stand back as he aims the barrel of the gun towards the ceiling and pulls the trigger. Everyone flinches as the bang is so loud, especially in the enclosed space of the Infirmary.<p>

The light blue particles fly down gently before collecting together and absorbing themselves into Shulk's chest, a majestic white glow emerging around him. The onlookers wait with bated breath for the blond to wake up. The Ylissean walking slowly to the side of the bed, his usual stoic face laced with worry.

Dunban's grip on the pistol loosens as time ticks by and there's no sign of his ward waking up. He had only that one shot, the war veteran unsure if it was enough. He watches as Riki climbs up onto the bed and starts using one of his ear-wings to pet the young seer's hair, Robin doing something similar as he rests a hand on the swordsman's cheek, like he did last night, hoping for a similar response.

Chrom rests a hand on Dunban's uninjured shoulder as a gesture of understanding, "We've done what we could. The gods must not have willed it."

"No disrespect your highness, but hell to your gods!" The Hom shouts, throwing the pistol to the ground in sadness.

Nurse Joy looks at everyone's solemn faces before she quietly slips away to fill out a report, wanting to avoid being in the middle of the conflict.

Robin looks at the other two, quietly apologizing to Dunban for letting him down. He was supposed to make sure Shulk got better, but he didn't do anything but constantly fall asleep. He attempts to fight back the tears that are pooling at the sides of his eyes. He gasps in surprise though when he feels something press against his hand.

Everyone looks as the blue-eyed fighter begins stirring, pressing his face into Robin's hand as reassurance that he's ok, even if he isn't fully awake yet. Riki bounces up and down a bit as he does his "You Can Do It" to wake up the young Hom.

The tactician smiles gently as he sees the other's eyes flutter open slightly and gaze at him. It takes a lot of self-control for the mage to just scoop up the other in a hug, just to let him rest more until his strength returns. He instead opts to grab the other's hand in a sincere gesture to show he's grateful that everything is ok.

**Affinity: Blue - Really close**

* * *

><p><strong>The sucker was a hard one to write, because it's right at the point they're close, but not <em>close enough<em> to be a couple yet.**

**Explanation time!**

**1) The way Shulk responds to the cramps and Robin getting the washcloth are things that happen when I have similar symptoms, it works in my case. I hadn't been sure what to do about that situation other than that.**

**2) Bionis doesn't have animals like Earth does, so again Shulk is pretty curious on what the heck Robin is talking about since the Homs are more accustomed to probably eating armus and arduns (depending on location).**

**3) I don't know why Robin is trying to impress Dunban, I guess he figures if Dunban hadn't been teasing about him and Shulk being a thing he wants to prove that he is worthy of the role.**

**4) I'm still learning about Supports, so that's why I don't explain that much here with Robbi and Samus.**

**5) In case it's not clear, "Kuro" is Dark Pit, he told most of the Mansion to call him that because it makes him sound cool, and it's not stupid like "Pittoo".**

**6) I figured that if Bionis has gun-lances and Ether _rifles_ they have to have pistols in case of absolute emergency. Especially considering the High Entia and Nopon are awesome at making things out of wood, and the Homs have flying transports and communicators, anything is plausible.**

**7) I do have to admit that I wanted to call Master Hand "Sebastian" but I didn't want Black Butler jokes, so Desmond he is. "Dante" is Crazy Hand because I knew a pretty crazy guy named Dante, it fit. Also the Hands are twins, and you can't really tell them apart other than Master is in a suit and Crazy is a casual guy. (Though, if you know Kululu from Sgt. Frog, he acts like him)**

**Also, thank you for all the follows and support for this, I'm glad to know people enjoy my quirky writing style and are patient with me not knowing Fire Emblem very well. I promise that "Blue Affinity" will be much more light hearted than this chapter, again sorry for the feels. My mind just likes suffering one in a while**


	5. Blue Affinity

**Ahead of time spoiler warning: This chapter does allude to things that happen mid/late game in Xenoblade, nothing is expanded upon, but it _is_ alluded to. Mostly location based details, no plot details.**

Onward with the story

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Blue Affinity<p>

It's been about a week since Shulk's recovery; however, he's still barred from fighting, but this has allowed him and Robin to get to know each other a little bit more over the course of this time. The tactician still doesn't quite know what to call their relationship, but when asked he will say that they're "close". He can't say that the two of them dating, because they're not, but the pair are still closer than friends.

The mage is on his way to the Mr. Saturn hot spring on the first floor to go burn off some steam. Ever since the incident, the silverette's mind has been quite clouded with concern for the young Hom fighter. He is very well aware that the blond will be all right now that he has a steady source of Ether, but he still feels like he needs someone to look after him. Though, he doesn't quite know if the swordsman would be willing to seek an S Support with the tactician, especially since the silverette still doesn't know if Bionis follows a system similar to the Supports.

After taking the time to change out of his clothes, Robin walks into the main area of the springs, other than a few Mr. Saturns milling about, the only other patron is Riki. The silverette climbs into the hot water and wades his way to the orange Nopon.

"Good evening to you Riki." The mage says as he takes a seat near the Heropon and leans against a rock.

The orange furball smiles as he returns the hello to the other. "RoRo seem troubled. Does humhum friend require the assistance of the Heropon?"

Quietly sinking into the water, the Ylissean contemplates an answer. "I do have a problem, but I don't quite know if you'd be able to help."

Robin watches as the Nopon crawls onto the rock the mage is leaning against, and taking a seat in the shallower water so he doesn't drown. The older extends his ear-wing and begins petting the silverette tactician's hair, fascinated at it's snowy color.

"Riki hear from DunDun you and Shulk close friends." The Heropon stops to giggle, "But Riki know RoRo's heart says more."

The white-haired mage blushes, does Riki really know if Robin actually feels a stronger bond between him and Shulk?

When asked about why his cheeks are so flushed, he just puts the blame on the heat of the springs, dismissing the ball of fluff's previous statement. The Heropon though senses that it is because he mentioned that he can tell Robin is attracted to the Monado boy is why he is so red in the face, and not because of the hot spring.

"Riki, I must ask," The Ylissean began, "I'm neither confirming nor denying my feelings, but hypothetically, how would you know I have feelings for Shulk?"

The Nopon smiles again as he continues petting the mage, "Riki have forty years, Riki know when he sees love."

"L-_love_?"

Riki nods as he hops a little in the water, "RoRo love Shulk like Riki love Oka!"

The mage turns to look at the Nopon in utter surprise, "Oka? You're married?"

"Riki have wifeypon and twelve littlepon. One littlepon has littlepon too!"

Robin looks at the clear night sky above him as he lets all this sink in. He does have to admit that a married man, well Nopon, would know if someone shows signs of affection for someone else. He just wonders in the orange furball is right. Over the past week or so him and Shulk have gotten pretty friendly, often sneaking away from their respective roommates to meet up on the roof and admire the night sky until the mage falls asleep on the seer's shoulder and he has to be carried back. The thought of that makes the tactician's cheeks turn pink again, he's supposed to be the "dominant" one, but due to being shorter and not as strong, Shulk definitely one-ups him in that department.

"Another hypothetical question for you," Robin says as Riki ceases his petting, "If I were to confess my feelings for Shulk, is there a particular flower he likes? Or does he keep that a secret?"

The Heropon giggles as he starts wiggling around, "Shulk only tell Riki and DunDun's sister!"

"So you do know?"

"Shulk likes Azure Hollyhocks! He calls them the 'prettiest blue flowers'! Riki don't agree, but HomHom friend really likes them."

The mage enters a thinking pose as he contemplates this, he's heard of hollyhocks before, but he's never heard of them being_ blue_, usually they're yellow, white, or pink. That must mean they are only native to the Bionis, and might also be rare to find. A perfect gift to confess affection. There's a slight problem, while he is able to use the terminals, Robin can't call anyone in Bionis, he has to have one of the Bionis fighters with him or at least have their ID on hand. He doesn't want to ask Dunban, it would confirm the Hom's suspicions, and asking Shulk would make it obvious. That just leaves Riki, and the mage doesn't know how reliable the Nopon is for keeping a secret, especially since the seer only told the Heropon and Fiora about his liking to these specific flowers.

"One last question Riki. I'm going to think this over, but in a few days, is it alright that I borrow your ID card to use on the terminal in the Communications Room to call Fiora?"

The orange ball of fur hops again. "Riki will let RoRo use card to call DunDun's sister."

"Thank you Riki." Robin says as he stands up and stretches out before dismissing himself and leaving the springs.

* * *

><p>A few days pass and Robin is relaxing in his room with a book in his hand and a towel around his waist, having just returned from the shower. He's waiting around until he finds it time to get dressed before Robbi and Chrom come in, the mage has some questions for his twin and friend. He is however, thankful that his roommate is off gallivanting with Pit somewhere away from his room, otherwise he probably would have gotten dressed by now. The silverette chuckles lightly at how he seems to be picking up on Shulk's strange habit on lounging around without much on, but the Ylissean confines himself to his room when in this state.<p>

The mage's eyes are still gazing over the words of the pages of the book in his hands. No matter what book he looks in, he cannot find anything about an "Azure Hollyhock", he sighs as he closes the book as he reaches the flower breeds in 'I'. He concludes that the flower is insanely rare. The tactician then slowly gets up to make himself presentable before his guests arrive.

Unfortunately, he's only able to throw some pants on before he hears the knock at his door. Tossing the shirt back into the drawer, the silverette opens his door and invites Robbi and Chrom inside.

"It's very out of place for you to be asking for me to come over Rob." The female mage says as she sits down on Kuro's bed.

"Considering I'm only half-dressed at the current moment, take everything from this point on as 'out of place'." The male twin replies as he casts his gaze to Chrom.

"Very well, you had asked the two of us to meet you here, any particular reason as to why?" The prince asks as he takes a seat in an open chair.

"Yes, I have a reason." Robin gulps looking at the other two, "I need help in the romance department."

Robbi quirks an eyebrow, "Is it for who I think it is?"

"Yes… I need help with romancing Shulk…"

* * *

><p>In a separate part of the manor, Shulk himself is walking casually down to the showers just at the end of the hall. He quietly hopes to himself that he's going in at the right time, he still hasn't gotten used to when the showers are open to males, and when they're open to the females. He wants to avoid embarrassing himself by accidentally walking in on someone of the other gender, especially if it's one of the princesses, or even Lady Palutena.<p>

The blond reaches the door and slowly walks in, glancing cautiously around to make sure he's not accidentally walking in on one of the ladies of Smash. After confirming he's alone, he steps into the room. He removes his shorts and walks to the closest shower, and stepping under the water after turning the handle.

The idea of a shower alone always fascinated the young lad, he was accustomed to baths, sometimes having to share with Reyn in droughts to conserve water, or being under a cold waterfall out in the wild of Bionis. He hates to say it, but he kind of misses those days; adventuring around the Bionis and Mechonis with his friends, having to use the resources around them to survive, having to be creative when bathing so Sharla didn't hide his clothes again, and just in general not having to worry about the normalities of Homs colonies.

The Mansion is too peaceful for the seer's liking, outside regulated battle anyway. Maybe later on he can invite Robin to join him on his trip back to Bionis and the two can join up with Reyn and Fiora again to travel to Colony 6, Makna, and Eryth to go visit their friends. He chuckles at the thought of Reyn and Robin arguing over which one is the better protector while he and Fiora stand off to the side and watch.

The swordsman is so caught up in his thoughts that he just barely heard a shower turn on next to him. He glances over and nearly shrieks as he sees Lucina standing next to him.

"L-Lucina!?" Shulk manages to stammer out before she clamps a hand over his mouth signalling him to be quiet. "W-why are you here? Did I come in at the wrong time?"

The blue haired woman shakes her head before standing straight, "I prefer coming in around this time...it's usually empty in here. I think I'm the one that came in at the wrong time."

The Hom averts his gaze to avoid staring and coming off as a pervert. "If you want, I can leave."

She shakes her head and tilts his head so he's making eye-contact. "No need, I can trust you not to talk about this to anyone. Is that right?"

"Y-yeah. I swear by Bionis."

The two sword fighters turn away from each other and continue their showers in awkward silence. Lucina being unfazed by the shorter blond's presence. The Monado boy attempts to strike up a conversation multiple times, but fails until his mind finally falls upon a question he's had for a while.

"Lucina, if you do not mind my asking," he starts, glancing at her through the corner of his eye. "I've been curious as to why you and Robin are close, yet he doesn't harbor feelings towards you. I would have assumed he would have some sort of affection to you, platonic or otherwise."

The swordswoman looks over at the other. "I'm his best friend's daughter from the future, father basically said I'm off limits, the same would have applied to my brother Inigo with Robin's sister if she hadn't married Henry by the time he showed up. So, he has to settle for someone else; although, most of our allies are already married and have children."

Shulk starts to let this sink before he quickly turns his head to look at her in surprise. "Wait, Chrom's your father? I could have suspected by appearance, but I was right?"

"Yes, he's my father."

"But he's only twenty-one?"

"That's true."

"And you're from the future?"

"Didn't I just finish explaining all of this to you?"

"Sorry… I've heard of seeing the future… but not being_ from_ the future." The blond explains, "I also have one other question, I've heard Robin occasionally talk about how he's achieving a 'support' with me. What does that mean? Is it at all like Affinity? Because I have maximum Affinity with all my friends from Bionis."

"Well, the simple way to put it is that he's striving for a relationship with you. Though, at this point I don't know if he only wants an 'A' Support, or if he's going to break the gender rule and attempt an 'S' Support."

"Can't he have that with anyone though? Or more than just me?"

"Gods no!" Lucina replies a little angrily, causing the other to jump in surprise, "Having an S Support means you're married. You can only have one S Support."

"Oh." the blond mumbles as he stares straight ahead, "That certainly makes things awkward. On Bionis you can have Pink Affinity with anyone, regardless of gender or if you have it with someone else already. That level of Affinity means you trust them with your life, a promise to never abandon them really."

"This…'Affinity'..." the blunette says softly, "You said you had it with all your companions already, does that mean you can still strive for a relationship at any time?"

"Yeah, I can." The seer says looking back at Lucina. "Affinity is a bond of trust and platonic affection. The idea of "Pink" just means that you would be _willing_ to take it beyond the bond of trust, but you're not_ obligated_ to. However, if Robin wants something more than a platonic relation...I'm not sure how it'll really work with your world's customs."

The girl looks at the other as she lets all of this settle in her mind. There are days that some fighters forget that Shulk isn't human, and that his world is vastly different from any of their own and today seems to be one of those days. She looks away from the boy as she contemplates a logical response to this dilemma.

"If Robin were to hypothetically ask you to…be with him, what would you tell him?"

"That's quite an odd question to ask." Shulk replies as he closes his eyes and he starts to wash the soap from his hair. "To be honest though, I never considered our relationship anything other than platonic, but Dunban always said I've been oblivious to romantic attraction directed to me. I wouldn't know if he did feel that way towards me or not."

"Not to sound rude, but you are pretty oblivious."

The blond sighs as he shuts off the water and steps out to grab his towel and dry off slightly, unfazed by the cold air hitting his skin. The princess does the same but keeps her back turned to the seer. The two stand back to back in silence as Shulk contemplates everything he's been told. He pretty much concludes that he should speak with Robin about this, just to clarify some things and tie up some loose ends.

The two bid farewell to each other as they step out of the shower room after making sure no one would catch both walking out at the same time. The seer takes a left compared to Lucina's right and starts walking towards the stairs to the roof, sending a message to Robin to meet him up there.

* * *

><p>Robin sighs as he finishes explaining why he is so desperate for affection to his friend and sister.<p>

Robbi huffs out a cheek in annoyance. "So you're only concerned with getting an S Support because I'm married to Henry?"

"T-that's not the ONLY reason!" The male twin stutters out, blushing a fair shade of red. "I care for him too. It's just that I don't want to be alone while everyone else is getting married and living happily together! You know you suck when _Kellam_ gets married before you."

Chrom places a hand to his chin. "I don't think that means you 'suck' Rob, it just means that you've only just now found the person that will return your affection."

"That's the problem Chrom… I don't know if he wants to return my feelings. He comes off some days like he's interested, other's like he's not. I can't tell if he's toying with my emotions or is incredibly oblivious!"

"Rob, please calm down." Robbi says as she stands up and places a hand on her twin's shoulder. "Unless he flat out refuses you, just think of him as blind to your feelings. I think it's safe to assume he just hasn't been paying attention and just needs you to be… a bit more obvious."

The white-haired mage opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when the phone went off on the nightstand. He walks over to check his phone and is surprised to see the message from Shulk asking him to meet up on the roof. He kindly asks that Chrom and Robbi leave while he goes to grab a shirt so he can meet the other in a decent amount of time.

* * *

><p>On the roof of the manor, Shulk is sitting on the railing, lazily kicking his feet as he waits for Robin to show up. Lucina's words still lingering with him as he thinks.<p>

_"Does he actually like me in that way?"_ The blond thinks to himself as he looks up at the night sky. _"I wish I knew the answer. Even my visions haven't given me any sort of answer to that question…"_

The Monado boy's train of thought is derailed however when he hears the heavy clunking of shoes behind him. He carefully turns around, so he doesn't fall and hurt himself, and smiles calmly at the mage as he strolls up.

"You wanted to talk?" Robin asks as he sits down on the ledge that supports the railing.

"Yeah, I did." The blue-eyed seer replies, "I had a chat with Lucina… and I wanted to make sure I understood that you have… certain feelings towards me."

The silverette blinks a couple times in surprise. "You talked with Lucina? About how I feel towards you? What did she say!?"

"Robin, please calm down." Shulk says as he attempts to calm down the mage. "It was all hypothetical assumptions. I don't know anything for definite. I just want to know what_ you_ think about me… and why you think that way."

The shorter of the two blushes slightly as he avoids eye contact, guilty that his reasons for even attempting to gain a Support from the Hom is based on envy of his twin. He tries to formulate a response that wouldn't end up hurting the teen's feelings after everything was said and done, instead he opts to tell him the truth.

"Well… I'll assume she attempted explaining the Supports, so I'll skip that." The tactician says as he continues to look at the ground. "I do harbor feelings towards you. Romantic feelings to be absolutely honest…"

The blond's face flushes slightly as he hears that. His heart skipping a beat at the revelation.

"The problem is though…after our first talk, and before the… 'incident'… I realized the two of us might be compatible. So I wanted to attempt a Support with you…but for selfish reasons."

"Selfish reasons?" Shulk asks, feeling his heart drop a bit.

"You see...I'm one of the few people in our troop that isn't married yet. There are other women…but we're not exactly compatible."

"You seem like a great guy Robin. Why would you say that?"

"Because they don't want_ me_. One hates my guts, a couple don't care for romance at all, and a couple others wanted my _sister_. I'm left alone in the dust..."

The swordsman attempts a response, but Robin throws up his hand, signalling the seer not to speak as the silverette stares him right in the eye.

"I'm desperate for attention just to prove to my sister that I can get someone... _anyone_ to marry me…so, when you and I started talking and I realized you had a pure heart with no preconceptions against me. Nothing to say you wouldn't like me…I took the chance."

"So…am I just…a trophy to you then? A symbol that you can achieve what someone else already has?" The blond mumbles his heart slowly breaking, tears welling up slowly around his eyes.

"NO! Gods no! I mean…" Robin realizes he dug himself into a hole. Any progress he could have made before slowly slipping from his grasp.

The Hom boy looks at him sadly, his lip quivering ever so slightly feeling like he had been played for a fool.

"Shulk…listen." The tactician says, sighing, as he stands up and lays a hand on the other's shoulder not pleased when the other leans away from him, "I realized long ago that my reasons were stupid. During this past week I realized you're more than a symbol of my desperation. I actually can see both of us working out. I just need you to understand that I don't really know anything about romance, and also trying to get everything sorted out when you're so vastly different from me…It makes things a little difficult to comprehend."

The blue-eyed fighter takes the back of his hand and wipes his face as tears start falling down his face. "C-can I really trust what you're saying though? You did just sort of explain that love had nothing to do with how you felt towards me at first."

"I'm aware of that, but that was before the incident. After all of that was over and you started recovering, I realized that I truly did care for you and your well-being. I hope to atone for my past mistake of trying to one-up my sister."

Shulk looks at Robin for a bit before hopping off the railing and walking away, throwing his hood on and stuffing his hands into his pockets. The tactician reaches out to try and stop the blond from leaving, but ultimately just ends up standing in the same place as before any hope of taking what he said back shattering before him. The mage sighs and leans over the railing as he feels the chilly autumn air blow.

"I knew I was going to screw that up." He mumbles to himself after he hears the door to the roof close behind him, "How do I explain this one to Chrom and Robbi…hell, do I dare even explain this to Dunban?"

The silverette continues to cast out his gaze over the horizon, thinking back to the day he and Shulk first spoke, idly talking about the sunset. The teen was genuinely happy to talk to the other, getting to know him, and fight alongside him in the future. Now it seems all that slipped right out from under him.

* * *

><p>A little bit later on, Shulk is walking through the fifth floor of the Mansion, watching the room numbers so he can find his friend Dunban and talk to him hoping he hadn't stepped out. At this point though, Shulk would even consider confiding in Riki.<p>

Finally reaching the door, the blond lightly knocks and waits for a response. Pleasantly surprised to see the older Hom male answer.

"Shulk?" Dunban asks, seeing the tears stream down his ward's face under his hood. "Is everything ok?"

The younger of the two shakes his head before he quickly steps in for a hug as he continues crying into the other's shirt. The raven-haired adult barely manages to make out the muffled words of the shorter about what had happened. The war veteran lightly pushes his 'adopted' son off him and ushers him inside so he can sit on Riki's bed to explain.

"Now Shulk, I only understood about half of what you said." Dunban starts as he offers Shulk some tissues to wipe away the tears, "I need you to explain exactly what happened between you and Robin."

The younger adult sobs more as he tries to form the words, "W-we… we were talking about… h-how he feels about me…"

"I caught that much, go on."

"A-and… I don't know...how to feel about him…"

That was all Shulk was able to get out before he lets out a small scream and continues crying into his hands, unable to calm down. This genuinely upset the older male seeing this fragile boy just break right in front of him. It has been a while since Shulk last cried, but when he does, he cries a river. The blond never really grew out of being extremely emotional.

Dunban gets up from his bed to take a seat next to his ward and try to comfort him in a side hug. He gently rubs his fingers through the wispy, pale locks of the younger. The swordsman had experience raising kids, but when it came to Shulk's crying, Fiora was always the one to calm him down. He just opts for his usual tactic of letting the boy cry for as long as he needs to. Quietly the raven-haired man whispers that his 'adopted' child can stay in his room so he doesn't have to worry about running into Robin again.

Shulk nods slowly as he attempts to wipe away his tears. He hiccups out a 'thank you' as he feels his mentor get up from the bed. He looks up gently after he stops crying at last. From under his hood he can see Dunban leaning down to plant a fatherly kiss to his forehead before walking from the room.

"D-Dunban?" The blond whispers out.

The older turns to look over his shoulder. "Just get some rest Shulk. I'm going to find Riki and let him know you're sharing his bed for the night."

The seer nods slightly as he feels his lip quiver a bit feeling like a burden to the other Hom male. He didn't quite know how to feel since his mind was conflicted on the entire situation with Robin.

* * *

><p>Dunban finds himself slowly marching up the stairs to the roof going two at a time. He knew he should have told Robin what had been on his mind while the tactician was watching over the seer. Too late now though to go back and tell him. Thankfully he doesn't have to worry about Shulk right now as Riki is more than likely waddling his way back to the room.<p>

The war veteran reaches the roof access door and pushes it open. Stepping out onto the highest point of the Mansion, he sees the white-haired mage still standing where he had been left. The breeze calmly moving the other's cloak as well as the adult male's ebony hair. The swordsman brushes a bit of his hair away from his face before walking over to the silverette and turning him around by his shoulder.

"D-Dunban!?" Robin shouts in surprise. "Wh-what are you doing here!?"

The other doesn't say a word as he grabs the collar of the tactician's cloak. He isn't in the mood to answer any questions considering the situation. There is a evil looking glint in the war veteran's eyes as he uses all the strength in his left arm to pick up the short mage and toss him off the roof in a fit of rage. After Robin's screaming subsides Dunban steps closer to the railing and looks over the edge to see the mage sprawled out on the ground.

"Good thing I'm not a fighter." The swordsman says to himself as he steps back from the railing to reflect on the situation. "Anyway, I should probably get someone to get him to the infirmary before we have a dead man in the roster."

* * *

><p>The next morning arrives and Robin groans lowly as he starts to wake up. His eyes flutter open slowly as he uses his hand to shield out the light coming from the windows of the infirmary. He can't recall why he's even in the infirmary. He doesn't remember past seeing Dunban confront him on the roof last night.<p>

Standing next to the bed is Chrom, his arms crossed and a disappointed look on his face. He had been informed of the situation by Dunban and was given the full explanation. It doesn't take long for the tactician to see his friend standing there.

"So… what happened to me?" Robin asks quietly unsure if he wants an actual answer.

Chrom's reply is stern and unforgiving. "Dunban threw you off the roof last night because you broke Shulk's heart."

The revelation hits the mage like a truck. He knew he had upset the young Hom with his words last night. Did he really break his heart though? The silverette attempts to sit up but is pushed down by the prince.

"Dr. Mario instructed me to not let you leave this bed." The blunette says as he steps back again.

"B-but… I need to apologize to Shulk…" The tactician mumbles, "If it was possible to mess up a Support, I sure accomplished it…"

The lord sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. He's unsure on what to do about this situation. He understands that his friend wants to make up for the mistake he made but he also understands that trying to apologize might just cause the situation to get out of hand again. All he can do at this moment is stand around until this blows over. Chrom does offer his companionship to the tactician while they wait for Nurse Joy to come back with the report on Robin's condition.

Only a couple minutes pass before the door to the infirmary opens and Shulk quietly walks in. He had heard from Luigi that his close friend had been found on the ground near the courtyard of the manor last night. The seer was worried for his fellow fighter and brought himself to go to the infirmary just to make sure he was alright. The blond wasn't quite surprised to see Chrom standing near the bed as he arrived. He was surprised; however, to see Robin in such a sorry state.  
>Figuring he would just say something incredibly rude Chrom decided to leave. He brushes past the young seer's shoulder on his way out. It didn't really seem to bother the other as he continues walking towards his friend and looking at him straight in the eyes.<p>

"S-Shulk?" The mage began weakly.

The swordsman doesn't make much indication that he's listening aside from blinking a couple times.

"I… I wanted to say I'm sorry…" Robin continues, "I'm… surprised you came in… after last night…"

"You figured I wouldn't talk to you ever again?" Shulk mumbles in reply.

"S-sorta… I'm still trying to comprehend your relationship with me…"

The blond takes a seat in the closest chair he can find. He doesn't say much to the other, but he knows he's being honest. The two stare off in silence while each one tries to think of a response to the situation.

"I apologise for Dunban's behaviour." The swordsman says quietly, "He's a little overprotective of me sometimes… for him it's just second nature."

The silverette nods, "I forgive him… I just want to know why you're here…"

"I never told you about 'Affinity' did I?"

"A… ffinity?"

Shulk nods as he begins a simple explanation of the bonds of trust. He hopes that explaining his culture and this 'system' would help his friend understand why he came back to him. The blond also divulges into the concept of a Heart-to-Heart and how Robin's conversations with him work like that in his mind since they are one-on-one talks. These explanations ease the mage's mind while he listens to the other's voice slowly pick up in volume again.

A small smile forms on the swordsman's face, "Was telling you about Affinity helpful?"

The tactician smiles in return as he offers his hand to hold, "It was. Very helpful in fact."

A slight blush comes upon the seer's cheeks as he takes the other's hand. The two look into each other's eyes for a bit as the idea of them actually being a couple settles in their minds. Neither of them have ever been in a proper relationship before, so the road ahead will be a rocky one. Not that either one will mind as long as they have each other to pull through.

**Affinity; Purple - Official Couple**

* * *

><p><strong>How long has it been since this was updated? I forget, but I apologize for the delay.<strong>

**Anyway, author notes.**

**1. The flower Riki is referring to is the only _flower_ that awards three hearts of affinity for Shulk so, it's safe to assume it's his favorite. Anything else that awards 3 hearts is mostly machine parts.**

**2. Any and all conversations between the Robin's will have Robbi refer to her twin as "Rob", just to alleviate confusion for readers.**

**3. Don't ask why Lucina walked in. Just don't. It was my best option.**

**4. I hope my explanation of Affinity is helpful to those that don't know it very well.**

**5. The Dunban tossing Robin off the roof is supposed to be comedic relief in this otherwise serious chapter**

**I'm sorry I promised a happy chapter and this turned into a feels-a-coaster again. I _assure_ you Purple won't be that way, just getting the bumps out of the relationship really. Anyway, reviews are appreciated~.**


	6. Purple Affinity

**Preemptive Xenoblade location based spoilers.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Purple Affinity<p>

Another week passes since the incident with Robin getting tossed from the roof. Thankfully for the tactician most of the Smashers assumed he was foolish and fell off instead of the usually calm and collected Dunban throwing him off in a childish rage. Speaking of the swordsman, the mage has quite a few bones to pick with him.

The silverette is calmly standing out on the roof again as the warm sun shines down upon him on this not very cold day. He had asked Rosey to tell Dunban to meet him up here, saying he wanted to have a word with him. Unlike a couple of the other Villager children, like Max and Dawn, Rosey was reliable on getting messages out without arousing suspicion.

The breeze blows slightly as the mage continues to wait. His snowy hair moving as the wind catches it. He clutches his tome as he thinks back on the situation that caused the conflict in the first place. Robin is fully aware he was in the wrong, he cannot deny that, but he will not forgive Dunban for his actions.

The door can be heard squeaking open on the other end of the roof. The heavy trudging of combat boots follows suit.

"You have quite a bit of nerve to throw me off the roof you know." Robin says without turning around to look at the other. "There are other ways of dealing with me other than throwing a tantrum like a child."

"Big talk for a small fry." Dunban replies, setting a hand on the hilt of his katana.

The silverette's eye slightly twitches before he turns around and launches Thoron towards the male Hom. The raven-haired adult just barely gets out of the way of the lightning attack, cringing as a few of the sparks hit his chest.

Both men know that it's against the rules to fight outside a regulated match, but that doesn't stop them since one isn't a fighter and this is the only way to get even. The two stare at each other, swords drawn.

The silverette is the first to move, rushing in close to use his sword. The sound of iron hitting steel echos into the distance as the weapons clash against each other. The mage hops back before his opponent has a chance to counterattack as he prepares Arcfire.

"You know full well I didn't mean to hurt Shulk's feelings!" Robin shouts as he uses his attack.

Dunban side steps out of the way of the fire before activating Serene Heart and closing the gap between him and Robin to use Gale Slash with his boosted agility. Both are surprised when the attack manages to connect and leaves a visible cut on the younger's chest, the "bleed" effect of the Art showing full well how dangerous this fight can be.

"Over the past two weeks you've told him countless promises saying you'll protect him!" The older yells in return as he runs behind the tactician to use Thunder to attempt and daze the other. "Can I hold you to them after what you had done!? Shulk is as fragile as a glass flower! He cried himself to sleep that night!"

The white-haired adult just barely manages to dodge-roll just out of the daze Art's range before using Elwind to blow the swordsman away.

Robin starts charging up Arcthunder as he responds. "I can not change the past to atone for the mistakes I know I have made, but that does not prevent me from ensuring a bright future for both me and Shulk. I promise you, Shulk will not cry because of me again ."

With those words, the mage launches his attack. Dunban manages to roll out of the way before jumping to his feet. He ignores the pain surging through his back as he runs ahead. He glares straight into the tactician's eyes as he swiftly kicks him in the gut before using Steel Strike to topple him over.

The silverette squeaks when he sees the tip of his opponent's katana mere inches away from his face. His opponent is towering over him, an angry glint present in his chocolate colored eyes. The two stare at each other in silence while the war veteran debates just shoving his sword through Robin's face or ending the fight.

A couple uneasy minutes pass before Dunban slowly sheaths his sword and turns around, preparing to leave.

"You're just going to end the battle like that!?" The mage says as he stands up. "You can't almost kill me and then walk away! Where's your honor?!"

The raven-haired Hom turns to glance at the tactician from the corner of his eye, "You yourself said there are other ways to deal with you than throwing a tantrum. Now, don't take this as surrender. Our quarrel is far from over."

The silverette watches as the raven-haired Hom looks away again, dusts off his trousers and walks away towards the door without another word. He's very confused by the man's actions. The mage has never seen anyone willingly walk away from a battle before, especially one where they were almost guaranteed to win.

Sighing in defeat Robin looks to inspect his torn and bloodied shirt. He does have to commend Dunban's strength and skill with the blade. Though, he does admit he should probably stop standing around and go find someone to help patch up the cut on his chest. He just hopes this doesn't get him barred from fighting in the regulated matches due to the fact this was unauthorized.

* * *

><p>Shulk sighs as he finally decides to fall out of bed. He isn't sure why, but he's been sleeping in a lot lately. The young blond groans as he picks himself up off the floor to saunter to his dresser. He's thankful that he will finally be able to fight again tomorrow in the competitive matches now that Doctor Mario has declared him stable.<p>

The swordsman's blue eyes slip closed for a second though as he thinks back to Robin and the situation that's been going on for the past week. It's no secret that the mage is not on Dunban's good side anymore. He just quietly hopes that nothing too terrible will happen to either one considering the seer's mentor is prone to letting his emotions get the better of him.

The blond reopens his eyes as he starts taking off his pajamas to get ready for the morning. Not much is supposed to happen outside some of the fighters competing in Smash Run to top this week's leaderboards. The swordsman just figures he'll take it easy today. He's slightly surprised when he hears someone knock on his door. Shulk figures it's not Samus, she never leaves without her key. Carefully he steps around his discarded clothes to get to the door and open it slightly to see who it is.

"Robin?" The Hom teen asks, moving back to let his companion into his room. "What are you doing here? And… why is there a massive cut on your chest?"

The silverette looks down and scratches his neck, "Dunban and I had a bit of an altercation up on the roof about five minutes ago. Also, can I ask why you're standing in here naked? Aren't you embarrassed at all?"

The seer rolls his eyes before going back to the dresser to grab some shorts before responding. "To answer your question. No. It wouldn't be the first time another man has seen me without my clothes. After I get my shorts on though, I'm going to try and heal up that wound on your chest before it gets infected."

Robin flushes slightly at the remark. He doesn't make an argument however as he goes over to the bed and sits down, removing his cloak in the meanwhile. The tactician does his best to avoid staring at the other while he gets dressed. He doesn't quite understand why he's embarrassed by this; considering if things go how he expects them too this won't be the only time he sees Shulk like this.

"Alright, this might sting a bit." The swordsman says as he walks over to the mage to perform Light Heal.

A cyan light of Ether begins to draw out from the blond's left palm as he uses his Art. He isn't exactly sure if it will work on a human, but it doesn't stop him from trying. The seer watches as the silverette winces a bit as the healing effect starts to close up the cut and stop the bleeding.

"I'm surprised that worked." Shulk admits as he moves his hand away from Robin. "How do you feel?"

The mage smiles gently, "Better. Thanks."

The swordsman smiles in return before letting out a squeak as the other grabs his shoulders and pulls him in for a kiss. It was a strange feeling to have another man kiss him, he wasn't quite used to the idea of them dating yet. He can feel his cheeks heat up slightly after the two separate.

"Too soon?" The white-haired tactician asks.

A slight nod comes as the only response to the question. Shulk has technically kissed someone before, but that was under strange circumstances. The shorter of the two turns his face away while the other steps back slightly. Wordlessly the blond walks over to his dresser again to finish getting dressed. Averting his gaze to keep from staring, Robin lets his eyes rest on the small stack of graphic novels Shulk had been reading over the past two weeks.

"I never realized how much you like to read." The white haired mage comments, "I remember you reading the first one of those a couple weeks ago."

A soft chuckle can be heard in the background, "Yeah, I'm a huge bookworm. If you want to read that series I'd be happy to let you borrow the books."

The tactician picks up the one on the top of the stack and fingers through it, a little surprised to see it's mostly pictures. He decides to inquire how his boyfriend can enjoy something that isn't just a simple book of text. A lighthearted chuckle comes in response as he explains that the overarching story is what is so interesting. The fact the main character is so madly in love that he'll risk any danger to be with his girlfriend is why the Hom teen reads the series. He casually mentions that it reminds him of himself in a way, even if the protagonist is more like Reyn.

Robin sets down the book again so he can see that his boyfriend has finally finished getting dressed. He quietly wonders why the blond didn't have any problem with him lingering in here while he was in such a vulnerable state. Maybe it's that strange sense of trust he has for the mage. Ever since they met he's always been so trusting and kind.

"So." The delicate voice of Shulk says, breaking the silverette's thoughts, "What do you want to do today?"

The tactician sets a hand on his chin as he contemplates an answer, "I'd say we could visit my room since you've never seen it, but it's even less decorated than this one. That, and I don't know if Kuro is there or not with Pit. I'd rather not walk in on them."

Lightly tipping his head to the side, the swordsman inquires as to why that would be such a big deal to walk in on. He's slightly disappointed when the other waves a hand in the 'don't worry about it' fashion to get him to change subject.

Blue eyes dart about the room as the seer thinks. He wasn't quite sure where to go really. There was the pool, but he didn't want to get changed again right now. The lounge is probably empty, but Robin once mentioned he doesn't spend much time there. The library wouldn't give them much ability to converse, so that's out. Other than the game room, the garden is really the last place that the two could probably go. Cautiously the taller suggests the two go out to the garden and enjoy the weather, since it's oddly warm today compared to the last week or so.

* * *

><p>Walking hand in hand the two finally step outside into the luscious garden in the back of Smash Mansion, just a few minutes walk from the Mr. Saturn hot spring. Shulk smiles happily as he leads Robin to one of the numerous benches under the trees. Since it's fall, most of the trees are bare and not many flowers are blooming. The blond is very unfamiliar to the concept of seasons, so he was a little upset when he heard the garden won't be in full bloom until March or so.<p>

Quietly the two stare off at the fountain in front of them and watch the water flow. There's an odd sense of deja vu for both fighters, as if they've been together near a fountain together before, but both know that that's impossible since this is the first time Robin's been to the garden. The pair sit in silence though, they enjoy the mere concept of just being in the other's company. The calm fall breeze carefully moves their hair as it gets caught in it.

Robin quietly squeezes Shulk's hand before looking at him tenderly. He hopes to get a proper kiss from him this time since the last one failed. He sets a hand on the blond's cheek so he can face the tactician. Being a bit more responsive this time, the two both lean in to plant their lips on the other cautiously. Not much could ruin the moment as the pair gets used to being an actual couple.

"Where is that dumb twin of mine?" Kuro's husky voice speaks up suddenly.

Quickly Robin separates from his boyfriend as he sees the dark angel start to saunter by. "Well… that certainly ruined the moment."

The seer blushes deeply after the sudden interruption. He looks to his side to see Pit's doppelganger standing a ways away, looking about the garden.

"You…looking for someone Kuro?" Shulk quietly asks, hoping that having a casual conversation will stop him from being red-faced.

The raven-haired boy turns around and glares straight at the seer, obviously displeased by his presence. He doesn't respond to the question as he walks past the duo to check behind the tree. Quietly he drags Axel out from behind his hiding spot to show that the crimson eyed angel is playing hide-and-seek with the young fighters of Smash.

The young mayor makes a little pouty face now that he's been found. Robin and Shulk had been a good distraction for the while that they were, but the small brunette still got found.

"Have either of you seen Pit?" The angel asks sternly.

The mage shakes his head as a response. "Shulk and I have only been out here a little while."

Kuro's expression changes from one of irritated curiosity to plain disgust.

Shulk quietly clears his throat to bring attention to himself. "If I know anything about your twin, he might be in the hot spring just past here."

"That damn cheater! The rules said to stay outside!"

The seer watches as the raven-haired boy stomps off to the Mr. Saturn hot springs to go yell at his twin. A little scared at the actions of the doppelganger, the blond turns to look at Robin. Receiving a shrug in response, Shulk decides to try and not worry about why Kuro was acting so cold towards him. Sighing quietly, the blue eyed Hom looks up at the sky, reminiscing about the first time he and Reyn stepped out onto the Bionis' Knee. The atmosphere around him just reminds him of that time.

"You sure do like to gaze out into space a lot I noticed." Robin comments as he looks up at the sky with his boyfriend. "Half the time I wonder if it's because you're thinking."

"Simply remembering actually." The heir corrects. "Since everything about this Mansion is a new adventure, I can't help but think back to my journey with Reyn, and all the friends we made…and lost… along the way."

The mage lets out a small chuckle. "Well, whatever makes you happy. I hope that one day you can show me the world of Bionis."

The blond smiles happily as he leans on Robin's shoulder, "Some day Robin. Also, are you looking forward to tomorrow's match? It's one of the six-fighters, but we're arranged into three teams."

"I can't quite say I'm thrilled to be fighting four people at the same time. Who's my partner?"

"I don't know yet. Master Hand has only announced the six fighters, so we don't know who's on what team."

"Wonderful."

* * *

><p>It's the following late afternoon and the six fighters are preparing for their battle. Being the final BIG match of the day, Master Hand, as Desmond, has made a personal appearance to maintain some order and to announce the three teams. The head of the manor raises his gloved hand to signal everyone to be quiet.<p>

"Thank you. Now, let us announce our teams for todays match." Master begins, "On the red team, Dark Pit and Lucina. The blue team, Link and Ike. Finally, on the green team, Robin and Shulk."

All the competitors look amongst each other and shuffle around to stand next to their battle partners. Shulk starts to feel a little uneasy as he sees Kuro's judging stare drill into his eyes. If looks could kill, the blond would have fallen over dead in an instant. The seer can't dwell on the other though as Master Hand dismisses himself to allow the six fighters to enter the simulation chamber to start the match.

* * *

><p>The stage is chosen to be the Big Battlefield, just to provide enough space for all six Smashers but still be fair enough to not give any one fighter an advantage.<p>

The announcer does his sound off and everyone prepares themselves. Once 'go' is shouted everyone starts moving. Link hops close to the edge and prepares a bomb to be tossed to Lucina, hoping for easy damage. Ike has prepared himself to go and attack Robin, and Dark Pit has targeted Shulk.

The spectators are all mesmerized by the amount of chaos that can ensue in one of these large battles. Bombs are arrows are flying haphazardly across the stage. Move names are shouted to the opponents as they are used. Counters are see going off as the time presents itself. No one in this match will go down without a fight.

Jumping just barely out of the way of Kuro's Electroshock Arm, Shulk manages to pull off a counter to Ike and KO him. The seer is really confused as to why the dark angel is only targeting him this match. Silently he wonders if he had done something wrong to anger the other. Quickly he switches from his Smash to Shield Art to try and keep himself from getting knocked off the stage as well. Even with this change, the black angel was still going to target him. Shulk wanted to just stop attacking and just ask, but Kuro was not in the talking mood as he attempted a strategy that Pit had done in the past. Shulk was surprised at how hard Kuro was gripping him than usual when he kicked him up into the air and followed up with his up aerial. In Shield form, Shulk had a harder time dealing with aerial combat and realized Kuro was probably waiting for him to change to do that nasty chain grab combo Pit used a lot in battle.

Even with a few aerial dodges, Kuro still left himself wide open to Link who missed the dark angel only because Kuro jumped up trying to hit the seer again.

"You're wide open, Kuro!"

Kuro only snapped out of his temporary rage to see Link charging him with his dash attack nearly hitting him if Kuro didn't do a last minute spot dodge. Lucina charged up her shield breaker and hit Link in the back sending him flying. Because Shulk was near the attack, he was hit, but didn't go far because he still had Shield form. Looking over to Robin, he noticed that the white haired tactician was keeping Ike at bay (who wasn't looking too happy after getting out that easily because he was reckless with his forward smash). He wasn't doing too well against a close range fighter and his arcfire kept going over Ike and hitting behind him. The frustration was apparent was on his face.

Shulk would have assist his partner, but Kuro was not going to let Shulk out of his sight. Once the Shield effect wore off, Shulk was forced to switch to Jump just to get the red eyed angel off of him.

Kuro was a little distracted admittingly watching how graceful Lucina was being. Link attempted to get back onto the stage with his spin attack. The blue haired princess jumped off the stage and countered the spin sending him flying off before recovering back onto the ledge with ease. This would have been a perfect opportunity to get at little Kuro, but even a small distraction would allow Shulk to do his job in assisting his partner. Robin was sent flying by Ike's dash attack and even though it wasn't a mechanic in game, Shulk prevented Robin from flying too far.

"Thanks…" Robin murmured as he started charging his thunder tome again.

"Do you want to switch opponents?" Shulk asked in a worried tone.

"No, I got this. You should focus on Kuro. He's going to hit you with that arrow."

"What? Oww!"

Sure enough, Kuro wasn't paying attention to Lucina anymore and went back to targeting Shulk and poked him with his arrow.

"Why are you targeting me?!" Shulk asked to himself as he turned around to see Kuro ready to fire again.

Time was almost out luckily. It would go straight to sudden death and besides Ike and Link, the other four Smashers were at high percentage. If Shulk got hit by a smash attack, he would be a goner as would Robin. Kuro wasn't doing too bad and Lucina hadn't broken a sweat. If Shulk wasn't distracted by the black angel, he probably would have noticed that Lucina was preparing herself to get them both.

_"5…"_

"Dammit…" Kuro cursed realizing he wasn't going to KO Shulk in time who switched back to Shield.

_"4...3...2...1...TIME!"_

They would have to settle it in Sudden Death. Link was exhausted from Lucina's performance, she overwhelmed him the entire match, so he probably wouldn't mind too much not winning when he was teleported away. Ike only grumbled as he was taken back as well. The transporter would have to rearrange the fighters back for sudden death but Shulk could tell he wasn't at an advantage when he was on the top platform and Kuro was below him being able to do anything to him.

_"SUDDEN DEATH! GO!"_

Robin could already curse the misfortune for being slow in battle and immediately jumped back to charge his tome. Shulk did the same thing to avoid Kuro who immediately went after him and growled when he missed. Lucina waited for the chance to go after Robin who had his eyes on her. The two knew each others strengths and weaknesses well, so if she reacted too quickly, he would just shoot an Elthunder at her and that would have been enough to get her knocked off the stage.

Shulk switched to Jump and actively tried to get away from Kuro. At this point, it was so obvious Kuro only had eyes for the blond running right past Robin when he had the chance to get him with a dash attack. Robin could only imagine what was going through the dark angel's mind when he went past him. It wasn't even worth attacking him if he was actively going to ignore his opponent. The white haired tactician knew that if he tried to go for Kuro, Lucina would charge him while he was distracted and unless he had Thoron, it was going to be pointless.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long until the bombs started falling at an alarming rate. Again Robin cursed his luck for having the slowest run speed in the game and being poor at dodging. He was only lucky most of the bombs were raining from above and as long as he was below the platform, he wouldn't be hit...yet.

Kuro had to get near Lucina with a quick strategy to end the battle if the bombs did not first. Shulk wasn't going to let these bombs get him when he switched to speed form and easily outran the bombs before they could land.

Lucina finally decided to charge during the explosions taking a huge risk in nearly getting hit. Robin could see in her eyes she was prepared to win. Shulk immediately saw a vision and proceeded to protect both him and Robin when they came up. As he proceeded to eliminate the blue haired princess, he gasped seeing the bluenette smile as she stopped herself at the last minute and allowed Pittoo to charge in with the electroshock. This move had huge priority and due to catching Shulk off guard he managed to smack in the face and send him flying into the distance as a star, effectively cancelling out the vision. Robin shot Thoron at that moment when Kuro still had the super armor that allowed him to absorb the shock and one of the bombs that hit his head and would have KOed him right there. Lucina shielded both the Thoron and the bomb that hit both her and Kuro before charging Robin and slamming her sword down on him sending him flying.

_"GAME!"_

The fight ends and the remaining four fighters are sent back to the main lobby area. Link and Ike congratulate their opponents on the well done fight. Lucina takes the praise in stride. However, Kuro continues to glare at Shulk despite his victory.

"Ok, I have to ask." The seer begins. "Why were you targeting me the whole match!? What did I do!?"

The dark angel clicks his tongue before getting up real close to the other. "Maybe I just felt like targeting you. Ever think about _that_ ?"

Leaning back slightly to maintain his personal space the Hom teen manages out a questioning reply, "There seems to be an extra reason as to why you targetted me . You were acting like we were the only fighters on the stage!"

"So what!? It's not like your could have won anyway!"

"Now you're just getting arrogant!" The swordsman shouts, restraining himself from cussing out the raven-haired boy. "I know you're beating about the bush, so spit it out you git!"

Puffing out his cheeks in anger Kuro replies quite bluntly. "You saw _Luci naked_!"

At this point most of the mansion might have heard the little outburst from the black winged angel. Shulk's first response was blinking a couple times before he continued to glare at the dark angel in frustrated confusion.

"That's what this is about?! What are you? _Three?_"

Unable to handle the shoutfest going on, now that she's involved, Lucina steps in between the two boys. She presses her hands between them and shove them away from each other.

Glaring at the blond, the princess speaks. "I'm sorry about Dark Pit's behavior Shulk. Now, if you excuse us."

Without another word the blunette grabs the dark angel by the wrist and leads him away. This left Shulk and Robin alone in the room, the latter not quite caring about the situation. Grumbling softly to himself, the seer folds his arms over his chest as he attempts to cool down after that little dispute.

The mage calmly walks over to his seething boyfriend and gently rests a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're a little upset, but how about you think of somewhere you want to go on a date hm? Just to take your mind off this."

Cautiously the swordsman glances at the other through the corner of his eye. "I suppose that wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"All right. I'll leave you here to think about that while I quickly go and grab a little something. I'll be right back ok?"

The blond uncrosses his arms as he quietly nods. He walks over to one of the nearby benches to sit down to ponder the idea of where he might want to go on his first official date with the silver haired tactician.

* * *

><p>Despite the whining from the dark angel, Lucina successfully managed to dragged Kuro to her room. She had to make sure the door was locked and that Robbi wasn't around before she would go off on the black angel. That was originally her plan, but seeing as he became quiet when she gave him that look, she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to do so.<p>

"Dark Pit…" The blunette began softly.

"… What?!" He snapped as she let go of his wrist.

"… I cannot believe you said that…"

"But it's true..."

"I thought you wouldn't think much of it."

"You thought wrong! Do you not realize the implication of that stupid alien seeing you naked?!"

Okay, maybe he shouldn't have used that slur that Pit used all the time against Shulk, but he was equally frustrated with him now as Pit was on a daily basis. Lucina's stare hardened causing him to back off almost immediately.

"I am disappointed in you Dark Pit…"

He flinched immediately at those words. It must have been because of Pit hating that word that it affected it so much, but he didn't want Lucina to think lowly of him especially since they just won that match proving that all the workout sessions they had together was working.

"B-But Luci…"

"No buts, Dark Pit."

Lucina had to be cautious with her words. Kuro was acting emotional over nothing. Even if she and Shulk believed that, he obviously didn't think so.

"Look, if Shulk did not think it was such a deal, I do not think you should either. I have told you in the past that I have disguised myself as Marth to fit in. Being in the shower with another man is not an issue with me."

"But it is for me Luci…" The dark angel murmured darkly. "He could have easily made an unwanted advance toward you…"

The blue haired princess blinked before she let out a huge sigh. "What is going on through your head? Do you honestly think that Shulk is that type of man?"

Dark Pit wanted to shout yes but even he knew that would have sounded stupid. He just needed to give in and apologize so he wouldn't feel like the bad kid throwing a temper tantrum that some other guy saw the girl he liked naked.

_Wait…_

Kuro shook his head at that thought. That was why he was being nasty in the first place. Just Lucina telling him about her conversation with Shulk made him imagine all of these dirty thoughts. He made fun of Pit for being a pervert, but images he had in his mind were worse and that might have been because he's the unfiltered side of the angel captain. While Lucina was talking about Shulk and her world, Dark Pit imagined Shulk attacking her when she had her back turned and having his way.

"Dark Pit...are you…"

"No...no...no! I'm not like stupid Pitstain or his Goddess! I don't have those thoughts!" He denied despite his face turning into a tomato. "J-Just don't do that again, Luci! If it wasn't that stupid Shulk, then you would have been in trouble! Pit says our world would have taken that as an invitation!"

Lucina let out another sigh as she pointed toward her bed. He looked ready to lean against the wall and slide down meaning she might have to carry him to the bed so he would be more comfortable. The dark angel went over without a fight, but he was more nervous than usual.

"Let's just put this behind us Dark Pit and let me treat your injuries. Link hit you with his arrow."

"Huh!?"

"You weren't paying attention… since you had been so caught up in attacking poor Shulk..."

Its not like he could do anything against her nagging. When her older sister persona was intact, he had no choice but obey. This meant he would have to change on her bed though...and he didn't want to do that after what they were just yelling about. Still, he removed his tunic and Lucina noted that there was a cut on the side of his stomach.

"Hold still…"

The dark angel flinched feeling something cold touch the small cut. How did he miss this? Was he that angry to not feel the pain?

Kuro continued to blush at the soft touches after she cleaned the wound. She only needed to slap the bandage on him and she was done. He yelped slightly at the sudden pain. Unlike Pit, there wasn't any fat there.

"Don't be reckless again."

"Uh huh, I won't if you don't go walking in on another guy."

"Oh, grow up! Also, no promises."

Dark Pit didn't like this as an answer. "Come on! At least if anyone is going to see you naked, it's going to be me!"

There was a long awkward pause before…

"Excuse me!?"

"Oh fuck…"

* * *

><p>Back with Robin and Shulk, the blond has figured out that he wants to go to the Tomodachi Island. The seer had explained that he had wanted to go to the amusement park that is there. While not being overly thrilled with the idea, the mage agreed to go. During that slight bit of time that the silverette spent away from his boyfriend he had rushed off to his room to change into something slightly more casual than his usual outfit.<p>

Happily the blond leads his date away to get to the transporter so they can go to Tomodachi Island and get things rolling. Outside fighting on the really awkward stage, the seer has never been to the island. He has heard from a couple of other fighters that there is more than meets the eye. Restaurants and attractions lie hidden from plain view. The mage can just see the excitement welling up in his lover as he is dragged along. Dare he say it, Shulk is acting like a puppy when someone new comes to the house to visit.

Standing right at the teleporter, the pair prepare to leave. Robin can see the blond bouncing up and down as he waits. Never has he heard or seen someone be so excited for a first date. Then again most of the stories the mage has heard was from either his sister Robbi with her crazy husband Henry, Chrom and the speed marraige of Oliva, and Cordelia and that person she married… wait, she's married? The tactician knows she's got a spoiled daughter, but who's the dad? Either way, hopefully nothing too bad happens tonight during this date, the silverette really doesn't want to goof this up like he did with his confession.

* * *

><p>The pair arrive safely on the island near the port. Shulk has that happy shine in his eyes as he admires the view of the island from here. A tiny white haired Mii with a giant red bow in her hair slowly waddles up to the pair to greet them.<p>

"Aww~, aren't you adorable~." Shulk nearly squeaks at the very sight of the Mii that is barely the height of Riki.

In a slightly robotic tone, the little girl replies, "My name is Winter. Would you like a map of the island?"

It was finally Robin's turn to make a response, "That would be nice. Thank you Winter."

The snowy haired child reaches into her pocket and pulls out a map for the duo to use while on Tomodachi Island. Curiously glancing over the locations, the mage wonders how they are supposed to get to the amusement park when it's on an entirely separate part of the island divided up by a canal. Robin offhandedly suggests that the two wander about the island for a little bit before they head off to the carnival. Eagerly the swordsman agrees to the idea as he takes the tactician's hand in his own, slightly squeezing it.

The silverette slightly blushes at the fact his lover took the initiative for once instead of the other way around. He doesn't let this bother him though as he feels himself get tugged along to go check out the island.

* * *

><p>About an hour passes before Shulk and Robin officially go out to the fancy restaurant in the downtown area of the island tucked away out of view. They seem to be the only ones there as a short brunette Mii whose hair is cut short and wearing sunglasses directs them to a table close to the windows.<p>

A pleasant smile can be seen on the blond's face as he presses his hands to the glass and admires the view while his date looks over the menu. Quietly Robin can be heard talking to himself about how he's grateful that he borrowed quite a bit of money from Robbi for this date. Most of the selection available is oddly expensive, but the tactician must take into consideration that this is probably the fanciest restaurant on the entire island, but it's also the only "fancy" restaurant as well. His eyes glance over everything as he contemplates what his companion might want, since the blond doesn't want to order for himself since he doesn't know what half the items are.

A little bit of time passes before another Mii walks up to take the orders. His green hair and widely spaced eyes slightly unsettle Robin as he realizes the Mii's giant grin is also not disappearing.

"Buttons?" The odd Mii states as he presses his pencil to the notepad in his hand.

The tactician tilts his head in confusion. "Are you ok?"

"Buttons?"

"I'll take it that's the only thing you can say."

Taking a slight sigh, the silverette calmly speaks out his order as well as what he determined would be the most appetizing for Shulk. Glancing over the drink menu he leans in to the Mii and whispers that he wants the "Pink Paradise". Swearing he saw the grin of the green haired boy/man get bigger as he orders the drinks for the two of them. The mage uneasily leans back again.

The Mii turns around as he starts to waddle off to the kitchen to get the order placed. His green hair leaving a lasting impression on the mage as he turns his gaze back to his date. Quietly he waits for the blond to stop gazing out at the view before he slips his hand under the table to gently squeeze his lover's hand.

"I hope you're having a good time so far Shulk." Robin says quietly.

The seer smiles brightly as he squeezes the mage's hand in return. "This is probably the best night of my life so far."

The tactician smiles in return at the reply. He's very happy to hear that his companion is enjoying himself. Quietly the silverette rubs his thumb over the swordsman's knuckles, admiring how the blond's hands are so soft and delicate. He hopes that his date is aware of the subtle hints that the two can be a little intimate after this. Unfortunately for the white haired mage, Shulk is as oblivious as ever.

Some time passes before the green haired Mii returns with the colorful drinks for the couple. Robin thanks the strange waiter as he hands off one of the glasses to his date while he takes the other for himself. He watches as the blond picks the pineapple slice from the rim of the glass and eats it.

"I'm surprised to see you eat something so bitter without batting an eye." The tactician states, knowing what one of the 'side effects' of that particular fruit can be.

Tilting his head to the side, Shulk replies curiously. "Why are you surprised? I thought by now you'd be used to the fact I eat strange things. That, and pineapples are delicious."

The mage sighs unceremoniously, his boyfriend is as clueless as ever. Carefully he removes the slice of fruit from his own glass so he can take a taste of it himself. Gently he nibbles a little off but nearly spits it out at the bitter taste. Darting his eyes between the pineapple and his partner, he slightly leans in, offering the fruit.

It doesn't take long for Shulk to get the idea as he leans in slightly himself and grabs the bitter fruit with his teeth. Gingerly he grabs the rest between his fingers so it doesn't fall as he finishes it.

Robin smiles as he takes a sip of his drink. He knows full well that there's rum in this concoction, but because it's mixed in with a few other flavors, so he hopes that his date doesn't catch on to the fact he might get a little bit tipsy from his cocktail.

Swirling the drink slightly to mix everything up a bit, the blond delicately takes a sip. He wasn't nervous about drinking it because he was worried about alcohol, as the idea didn't even cross his mind, but actually because he's never seen a drink be so deliciously pink before. To the Hom, he thought it was merely a blend of fruit juices.

Casually the two exchange idle chatter as they continue to wait for their food to arrive. Their eyes occasionally avert from one another as one might shift his gaze to look at other patrons as they enter or even to look outside to admire the lights of the downtown area. Surprisingly it doesn't take very long for the wide eyed Mii to return with the serving platter with the food.

The slender waiter gently places the plates on the table. For the swordsman, a large, boiled lobster, and for the mage, a piping hot bowl of stew, not unlike the kind that Robbi likes to make. The unwavering grin of the Mii never faltering. Quirking an eyebrow in confusion, the silverette wonders why the waiter isn't leaving while he catches his date nearly gulping down his drink out of the corner of his eye.

Slowly the waiter lifts his nubby hand, as if asking for something. He waits for a few seconds before lowering it again.

"Buttons?"

At this point, hoping it'll get him to leave the couple alone, the tactician drags out his wallet and pulls out a small amount of dollar bills. In a nearly agitated way he folds the money in half before shoving it into the Mii's gaping maw. The goofy grin still fails to waver as the waiter merely blinks a couple times.

"Thank you." The green haired boy/man says in a slightly muffled manner as he walks away.

"So he can speak." Robin muses to himself.

Curiously Shulk lightly pokes the crustacean with his fork, watching as the shell doesn't so much as chip. Shaking his head in disappointment, the silverette starts to simply explain how his boyfriend is supposed to eat the lobster. He even decides to ask if he's ever eaten any form of lobster or crab before. Not quite surprisingly, the answer was negative, as many of the creatures of Bionis and Mechonis that were similar to a lobster were way too large to eat as a simple meal such as this.

After explaining exactly what's sitting in front of his eyes, the blond grabs the knife that was supplied to him. While usually very timid and afraid to even hold something sharp, the seer had no problem cutting off the tail of the lobster and then slicing it open. His eyes light up as he sets down the blade to pick up his fork again so he can pick out a piece of the juicy meat waiting on the inside of his meal. The rosy tint on his cheeks from his drink is starting to become noticeable as he dips some of his lobster into the melted butter that he was provided.

Robin lets a smile slide as he slowly eats when he hears Shulk giggle as he starts eating his meal. He occasionally sips at his cocktail and can faintly feel his face heat up every time the delightful little laughs can be heard. The only problem is that the tactician can't tell why his date is laughing so much. It could be because he's either intoxicated or he's just really enjoying his meal.

It doesn't take very long for the Hom teen to finish his drink, and the supplied cherry in all it's red deliciousness. Since he had enjoyed it very much, and since the waiter isn't coming back, he proceeds to ask if he can have what's left of Robin's. The white haired mage is a little leery of the idea of his boyfriend having any more to drink, as the one drink by itself has his cheeks extremely flushed. Still who was he to refuse?

The blond lets out another happy giggle as the tactician hands off his half-empty glass. Contently he mixes the concoction to get the most flavor before he nearly guzzles it down. At this point the mage determines it's time for them to leave before the swordsman manages to flag down another waiter to get another drink and get completely wasted. It's bad enough that at this rate he probably won't remember what happens after this.

Excusing both himself and his date, Robin gets up from the table so the two can make their way to the amusement park. Offering his arm for his blue-eyed companion, the tactician manages to get him standing. Kindly he explains that he has something he has to quickly do before they depart for the other half of Tomodachi Island. The mage doesn't explain exactly what he has in mind, but the seer doesn't make an argument as he's lead out of the restaurant.

The couple soon find themselves back at the train station at the edge of the downtown area. It'll be another five minutes for the train to arrive, so the tactician has been mostly contenting himself to watch the seer lazily sway from side to side in his slightly intoxicated daze.

For a brief second Robin shifts his gaze from his boyfriend to look around the station. He does a double take as he catches a glimpse of green hair. It's that Mii from the restaurant! Sternly the silverette watches as the wide-eyed 'waiter' waddles up to him.

"What do you want?" The mage says, in an irritated tone. "I thought you had to work at that restaurant."

The Mii says nothing as he digs into his pocket and pulls out a tiny bottle of cologne. "Buttons?"

Questioningly Robin takes the bottle and watches as the Mii drags out a newspaper and waddles over to a nearby bench to sit down and wait for the train. Unbeknownst to the mage though, there's a hole in the paper so he can watch the couple from afar.

* * *

><p>Once at the amusement park, Shulk automatically attempts to drag Robin to one of the various carnival games placed about. The mage really didn't want to try his hand at anything since most of the games had something to do with strength or sports skills. If it wasn't for the fact he's nearly falling over from the one and a half glasses of cocktail he had, Shulk would probably be playing these himself.<p>

The silverette calmly walks both himself and his date over to the ring toss that's being hosted by a very tiny, but extremely pretty, red-headed Mii girl.

In that slightly familiar robotic tone the girl speaks as she points her baton to the bottles. "Step right up and try your luck. Land a ring on one of the bottles to win a nice prize. If at least one ring lands on one of the middle seven bottles, you win one of the better prizes."

Reaching into his pants pocket, Robin drags out his wallet and pays the hostess. She hands him three bracelet sized rings for him to try his hand. Carefully he looks over the layout of the colorful bottles and feels the weight of the ring in his hand.

Lightly the tactician tosses the object in his hand and watches as it bounces off the top of the bottle he was aiming at and lands on a bottle behind it. Adjusting from his previous toss, he barely misses as the ring bounces off the rim to the ground. The white haired mage lets out a small growl as this second failure annoys him. He has one last shot to get the kind of prize he's aiming for. Quietly he sighs to calm himself down before he tosses the last ring. Contently he smiles when he sees the object land on the bottle he had been aiming for. The silverette also lets out a small chuckle when he sees Shulk clap for his win.

"Well done mister." The red-head says as she leans on her baton. "Pick your prize from the row of plushes here."

"Go on Shulk." Robin says as he urges his date. "Choose the one you want."

A faint blush overtakes the blond's cheeks as he steps up to the stand to pick out one of the plush toys. There wasn't a very wide variety available, almost typical of an island with a population of less than fifty residents, so the seer just picks up one of the plush kittens sitting in front of him. The pale yellow fur and green eyes stand out in his eyes, vaguely reminding him of Fiora. The thought in itself makes him smile as he hugs it close to his chest.

"Come on now Shulk, there's one other thing I want to do before we go on the ferris wheel. Ok?" The mage suggests trying to get the other's attention.

Nodding gently the swordsman turns around and hooks his arm under Robin's again so he can be lead away to a nearby crane machine. The Hom teen had seen one of these before and tried it once or twice, but he's never won anything from it. Curiously he watches as his boyfriend drags out a couple quarters and hands them to him.

"Just aim for the one you want all right?"

Again the seer nods as he inserts the coins into the machine. There was a small panda plush sitting in the exact middle of the pile with large eyes that stared pleadingly back at Shulk's own blue eyes. Since he was a little tipsy, he didn't have much coordination as he moved the claw to try and grab the toy. While he was busying himself trying to get the crane to do what he wanted, his lover was merely observing to see what to aim for just in case the other missed.

Hearing the disappointed whine come from the blond alerted Robin to when his date had run out of time on the machine. He turns to look at the teen and see him sadly gazing at the plushie he so desperately desired. Stepping next to the taller, the mage pulls out two more quarters and inserts them. Standing straight he confirms that the large eyed panda is what the swordsman had been aiming for. He lets out a gentle nod as he expertly moves the crane over the black and white toy to pick it up. Smiling as the claw picks it up and deposits the panda into the little trough below.

Gently the tactician bends down and claims the prize before handing it off to Shulk. Shifting his weight to his toes Robin leans up to plant a kiss onto his boyfriend's rose-colored cheek. After hearing the tiny giggle come from the Hom teen he walks next to him to hook his arm under his date's so he can lead him off to the ferris wheel.

Thankfully for the both of them it was only a short walk away. When they first arrived at the park the mage had to discourage his lover from trying to get on the roller coaster or merry-go-round since he was already a little dizzy and he didn't want him getting sick. So the ferris wheel was the last ride in the park, and the most secluded anyway.

Standing at the gate to the ride the silverette had already handed off the required amount of money to the short haired brunette Mii standing by. His semi-cocky grin almost speaking for him, as if he knows what's going on. Glancing about quickly, Robin makes sure that the strange, wide eyed, green haired Mii still isn't following him and Shulk around.

After confirming the two were basically alone, the white haired mage drags out that cologne and lightly sprays it onto his neck before quickly tucking it away again. The blond was blissfully oblivious to the action as his gaze was stuck on the roller coaster, watching the multi-colored cars zip around the track.

Finally, after a minute of waiting, the ferris wheel comes to a stop and the tactician helps his date to enter before climbing in himself and sitting on the opposite side of him, just so he can look at his date. Seeing the blond happily stare out the window as he cuddles his new toys just made the mage's heart flutter with anticipation. The feeling is just all too surreal at this moment, it's quite hard to believe that the silverette has finally found someone that truly loved and cared for him.

The carriage the couple are in starts to slowly ascend once the door closes to the outside. As the ride carries the duo up Robin figures that it's finally time to drag out the gift had had with him. Slowly the tactician pulls out a delicate blue flower, the same kind that he had talked to Riki about some time ago. He smiles gently when he sees Shulk's eyes light up at the sight of the present.

"R-Robin." The blond starts, his voice a hushed whisper. "Is that…? Is that what I think it is?"

A gentle nod comes as a response. "If I'm not mistaken, Azure Hollyhocks are your favorite. Are they not?"

"Y-yeah."

"Well, may I ask that you take this gift? Not as a simple flower though, but as my proposal. I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you."

A small gasp can be heard as the Hom teen takes the question into consideration. The seer is at a loss for words as he cautiously wraps his fingers around the stem of his gift. Quietly the blond sets his toys down so he can use his other hand to trace the petals of the flower. He had a small garden of these back at home, a garden that Reyn is not allowed to get close to. His lips curve into a smile as he tucks the hollyhock's stem under his hair, just so it rests on his ear but still be in view.

"Robin, I accept your proposal." The swordsman says quietly.

A sigh of relief can be heard from Robin as his worries of rejection are eased. He was afraid he had rushed this proposal, much like some of his comrades in arms had done. A delightful silence washes over the pair as both let the idea settle in their minds. They aren't just dating anymore, but they are informally engaged. The mage quietly reminds himself to get into contact with Fiora again to make sure the ring he requested is getting made properly.

"You know, I never told anyone in the Mansion about these." The swordsman comments as he looks out the window to look at the roller coaster. "So, how did you find out?"

The silverette lets out a chuckle in response. "A good tactician knows some of the things people like, even if it's learned from unconventional means."

The Monado's heir makes no argument as he looks back at his date. While he has a faint idea of how his lover had found out about his favorite gift, he'd rather not question him. Shulk leans in to gently kiss Robin on the lips as thanks for the present. He can feel his fiancée kiss back before he pulls away to take a seat again.

It's not much longer before the cart that the pair are in edges close to the top. Robin really wasn't paying attention before, but this ride goes extremely slowly. Most of his attention had been placed on Shulk, who was still gingerly running his finger over the flower's petals.

Maybe it was just the mage, but he can slowly feel the confined space of the carriage getting warmer. Perhaps it was the rum finally kicking into his system. While he gently tugs at the collar of his shirt he directs his gaze to his date. His deep blue eyes, the ever present rosy blush covering his cheeks and nose, and the delicately soft blond hair. The teen was still smiling as he looked out the window, the joy in his face from his gift as apparent as ever. The tactician was finding it hard to contain himself, he just wanted to reach out and caress the other. To run his hands down anything within reach. This moment was almost perfect.

Suddenly the ride came to a stop as the cart the duo was in reached the very peak of the wheel. A look over concerned surprised washed over the young blond. Understandably so, as the machine could be malfunctioning. The chance is low though as they are probably the only ones on the ride and the stop was intentional.

_" This is my chance."_ The silverette thinks to himself. _" Now or never. " _

Shulk's attention is suddenly taken off the ride as he hears something shift on the metal floor. He looks to his boyfriend, now fiancée, as he slowly leans in and strokes a hand down his face. He leans in towards the touch as he feels the mage's lips connect with his own. The gesture is gentle, yet there's some force behind it.

No words are exchanged as the shorter pulls away to look straight into the Hom's eyes. Slightly cloudy from intoxication, but shining in anticipation nonetheless. Daringly Robin leans in again for another kiss. He presses in a bit more this time before sliding his tongue over the younger's soft lips.

The sensation made the blond gasp slightly, he wasn't expecting the sudden contact. A small noise can be heard as he let's his date explore his mouth. After a few seconds of adjusting to the deep kiss the two start to have a small competition of how can overtake the other in the kiss.

A minute of this make-out session passes before the two have to break to breathe. A tiny, shiny trail of saliva is still connected between the two as they stare into each other's eyes. The small amount of French kissing already has them gasping for breath, but yet hungering for more. Daring to be a bit bold, the mage slips his fingers under the collar of Shulk's sweater, revealing the skin underneath. Not receiving a negative response, he gingerly presses his lips to the pulse point.

"R-Robin…" Shulk moans out softly as he feels his partner slowly suck at his neck.

Taking it as an invitation to continue the tactician lightly nibbles the skin, hoping to leave a mark. The more he bites the louder his lover is also getting. In the back of the white-haired tactician's mind he's happy that his companion wears the shirt he does. He can leave all sorts of red hickies and no one would know except the two of them, the chances of Shulk telling anyone about the marks are incredibly low.

Pulling back to see the work he has started Robin smiles as he sees his fiancée already coming undone. It's more than likely due to the alcohol in his system, the swordsman seems to have an incredibly low tolerance, but it's plain to see in his eyes that he wants more. Obliging the silent request the silverette starts to bite at the other side of his lover's neck, a little more forcefully as well.

"Ahh… Robin…"

That adorable voice, the mage just can't get enough of it. The small whimpers and low mewls are slipping out and they're for the tactician and him alone. It doesn't take long for the older one to slowly pull back again to admire the cherry colored marks marring the otherwise flawless skin of the Monado boy's neck.

Just as slowly as he pulled away Robin closes in close to the blond's face to steal another kiss. He can feel the seer card his hands through his messy hair in an attempt to bring him closer.

Shulk is loving this sudden attention he's getting from the other, even if he is confused as to why. In a desperate act to take a breath he separates from the kiss before he nuzzles into the crook of the mage's neck. He doesn't want to alter that position either as he takes in the alluring scent of vanilla and cinnamon. The Hom teen had gotten familiar with the unique scent that his boyfriend had, but this unfamiliar masculine scent made him cling and cuddle in closer to the white-haired tactician. The air around the two of them was starting to get noticeably hotter as well as time went on.

Gingerly, as to not scare the blond, the mage slides his hands down the swordsman's sides. The action earned him a small squeak as a response. It's good to note that the heir of the Monado was slightly ticklish there. Tucking his hands under the thick fabric Robin manages to slip off the garment, and the vest still resting on top of it, off Shulk's narrow shoulders. He was careful with the maneuver as to not ruin or displace the flower still sitting in his boyfriend's hair/ A small, mischievous smirk becomes present on the tactician's face as he leans in to steal another kiss.

Lightly the silverette dusts his fingers over Shulk's stomach as he continues to passionately make out with him. A slight chuckle can be heard when he feels the Hom tense up at the touch. Deciding to be a bit of a playful tease he tenderly starts to rub and pinch at the younger's nipples, just to hear more of those delightful moans and whimpers.

"Ohh… R-Ro…" Shulk mumbles when the two separate.

The sight alone is almost too much for the tactician to take in. The usually reserved and timid Hom teen is half-naked and nearly begging for his lover to do something. The fabric of the Monado boy's shorts does nothing to conceal his obvious erection from his fiancée. Robin's smirk gets a little wider as he moves one of his hands away from the blond's chest to press between the seer's legs to have him spread them. After succeeding in his little endeavor the white-haired mage moves down so he's level with the swordsman's legs.

The silverette tucks a stray bit of his hair behind his ear before he moves both of his hands to the hem of Shulk's shorts. Gently he grabs at the fabric of the garment, and the boxers underneath, to pull the shorts down to the Monado boy's knees. Taking in a deep breath to mentally prepare himself, Robin rests his hands on the blond's inner thighs before he slowly leans in.

A slight shudder comes from the seer as he feels the tactician's breath dancing over his exposed dick. He tangles one of his hands in snow white locks as he watches his lover licks his lips in anticipation. A soft moan is heard as the swordsman feels Robin's tongue delicately lick over the tip.

"R-Robin… I-." The seer starts as he presses his free hand to his forehead. The sensation rushing through him is foreign to say the least.

The tactician doesn't say a word as he adjusts himself slightly to get a little more comfortable before resting his lips on the tip of his fiancée's cock. Slowly he opens his mouth to take the length in but he suddenly feels a pull at his hair. Not a gentle tug either, it was meant to get his attention. The mage looks up to see Shulk's eyes wide with worry and that he's biting the back of his free hand as he tries to contain himself, his head shaking ever so slightly.

The words come out a little weakly, but the point gets across. "D-don't."

"W-what? I-is there something wrong?"

The tactician slowly gets up when he sees the other nod as a response to his question. He gets a little worried when he sees tears welling up at the sides of the blond's eyes. The mage screwed up. He knows that he did.

"A-are you… okay?"

A simple shake of the head is the only response he receives.

The poor blond is visibly shaking as everything let's itself click. He presses his legs together in embarrassment as he attempts to cover himself. Watching as the silverette sits back down on his side of the carriage he shakily pulls his shorts back up to his hips.

"D-don't… get me wrong…" Shulk mumbles slowly, his voice getting even quieter as he goes on. "I… I wanted to… let you do that… but I… not here… not now…"

To say this didn't ease Robin's worries would be an understatement. He looks away from the other as he finishes getting dressed again. Gazing out the window the mage can see that the ferris when has started its slow descent back to the ground.

* * *

><p>Once back outside the ride the two uneasily stare away from each other. Shulk is holding his plushes close to his chest as he tries his hardest not to cry. It's one thing for the blond to have gotten a little bit tipsy, but that would have been easy to explain to Dunban. The seer didn't know there was alcohol in that drink. He just can't even begin to imagine trying to tell his mentor about the fact he just got proposed to though. Or even the fact he almost lost his virginity. Especially if all three happened in one night!<p>

Robin cautiously rests a hand on his fiancée's shoulder as he tries to calm him down. He isn't quite surprised when the swordsman steps away from him and looks at him. There's a plain expression of fear laced in those blue eyes.

"Shulk… I'm sorry…"

Quietly the heir of the Monado looks away from his date. He's at a crossroads really. The blond avoids looking at the tactician as he gently takes the other's hand in his own. It's a silent sign that he forgives the mage for his actions as both are technically at fault.

"Are you…ready to go back?" Shulk mumbles as he looks back at his lover.

"There's… one last place I want to go for the night." Robin replies. "Well, if that's ok with you."

The swordsman doesn't make any arguments as he's lead away from the amusement park. The mage quietly mentions the cafe just outside the gate should still be open to patrons despite it being close to ten at night.

* * *

><p>The couple get sat down at one of the booths next to the window and a wait patiently for a waiter to come up to them. It doesn't take long for a semi-tall Mii with black hair and sunglasses to walk up and ask if the boys want anything for this late night stop. Shulk doesn't speak as Robin requests a slice of cake for the blond.<p>

Leisurely the seer traces a finger on the table as he lets his mind wander in thought. Instead of looking at his date the mage is looking out the window. He gets slightly annoyed when he catches a glimpse of that wide-eyed Mii standing outside the cafe. At this point the tactician sighs in defeat and just goes with the fact he and his partner have been followed all night.

Some time passes before the waiter returns with two slices of strawberry cake for the couple. He gives the two a gentle smile before walking out of the establishment to shoo off the green haired Mii.

"Buttons!?" Can be heard in the distance as the waiter begins to chase away the stalker with a broom.

Quietly the pair eat their cakes as Shulk finally starts to calm down. Contently he snacks on the strawberries provided to him on the side before finishing the rest of the dessert.

"Better now Shulk?" Robin asks as he pushes his half eaten cake away.

"Yeah. Thanks Robin. I did enjoy the rest of what had happened. Even if I might have a bad headache tomorrow."

The blond leans over the table slightly so he and his fiancée share one kiss before they leave the cafe for the evening.

* * *

><p>Back at Smash Mansion Robin is leading Shulk back to his room before they depart for the night. Tucked safely in his arms yet is the plushes that had been won from the amusement park. The hollyhock is also still resting right on the seer's ear.<p>

"I'm sorry for what we did on the ferris wheel." The mage admits as he scratches the back of his neck.

Leaning in for one last kiss the swordsman replies. "I just didn't feel I was ready yet Robin. Maybe after I get settled into the idea we can get intimate… and when I can also guarantee Dunban won't murder you and make me wear a chastity belt."

The tactician lets out an extremely nervous chuckle as he agrees before hugging his fiancée goodnight and leaving to go back to his own room. Despite the hiccup in the amusement park, the silverette can definitely call tonight a success.

**Affinity: Pink - Engaged**

* * *

><p><strong>Holy shiitake mushrooms this was hella long. <strong>

**1. Dunban's arts are fairly unique compared to what you see in Smash with Shulk. "Serene Heart" is an aura that increases his agility. All others used are described within the text**  
><strong>2. The thing about Shulk talking about others seeing him naked stems from not only "Xenochildren" but also is a slight call back to the last chapter<strong>  
><strong>3. The six-person battle was written by GintaxAlvissForever, so I can't take credit on that one.<strong>  
><strong>4. The Miis that show upare described in this chapter all come from my personal file of Tomodachi Life. The first one is a child, the second is me, the third [the running gag] is a friend of mine, the fourth is N3rdstheWord [from youtube], the fifth is ProtonJon, and the last one is another child character**  
><strong>5. The reason that gag Mii keeps saying "buttons" is because that's his catchphrase in my TL save and he says it a lot. [He's doing the date stalker thing from that game]<strong>


End file.
